After finishing the season with seven goals and 12 assists in 55 games for Galatasaray throughout the Super Lig and Champions League, Turkish international Baris Yilmaz has also played well in EURO 2024 and has quickly become the summer’s favourite brand.
In the match against the Netherlands, he had a great battle with the world’s best Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, showing on the big stage that he can play not only as a winger, which is his forte, but also as a centre-forward.
While there has been reported interest in the player from English sides, including Liverpool, who are looking for a new attacker, Sedat Tahiroğlu, the president of Keciorengucu SK, where he stayed until the summer of 2021, expressed his desire for a move this summer for the sake of the player.
“We have 20% of Yilmaz’s fee but Galatasaray has not requested a meeting with us on this issue.”
“I hear Liverpool and Arsenal want him but I know Nuri Sahin definitely wants him [at Borussia Dortmund]. I do not think that the price will be €50m. He can be sold for around €30m (£25m).”
“The path needs to be paved for young people for Turkish football. Hopefully, he will make the decision that is good for him.”
“The money is not important. The important thing is for Baris to go to a team where he will be successful because he will be the face of Turkey.”
Aksam
He has made 20 appearances for Turkey, scoring two goals, which is not enough for a striker. However, he is good at pressing from the front and runs wide across the pitch with plenty of stamina. He is also strong in physical battles with defenders and could be a useful asset for clubs that play fast, vertical football.
The problem is scoring. Liverpool suffered from a lack of decision-making in the second half of last season, and with the urgent need to find a replacement for Egyptian international Mohamed Salah, a forward like Diogo Jota who can settle in front of goal and score in a variety of ways is ideal.
Could Liverpool really be serious about acquiring Galatasaray’s 24-year-old forward?