Could West Ham United be about to get their mitts on a footballer who combines the pace of Kylian Mbappe, the explosiveness of Gareth Bale, and the trickery of Phil Foden?
Well, at the risk of raining on any proverbial parades, probably not, no.
But while Baris Alper Yilmaz may not belong even in the same postcode as those Real Madrid superstars past and present, comparisons with Kylian Mbappe, Gareth Bale and Manchester City’s so-called ‘Stockport Iniesta’ provide an intriguing insight into what West Ham United could be getting for a reported £30 million.
TBR Football reported in April that West Ham watched Baris Alper Yilmaz, alongside Newcastle, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, as his Galatasaray side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas outfit.
Those West Ham links go back to June 2024, by the way. The all-action wideman would impress over the following weeks as surprise-packages Turkey came within touching distance of the European Championship semi-finals.
West Ham United reportedly made £21m bid for Baris Alper Yilmaz
Few attackers the world over can claim to have left Virgil van Dijk for dead.
But as Yilmaz turned on the afterburners and breezed past Liverpool’s talismanic centre-half en route to a valiant 2-1 defeat, he provided a brief and thrilling hint into the searing acceleration which underpinned those Mbappe and Bale comparisons.
According to reports, Galatasaray value Baris Alper Yilmaz at £30 million.
Though with only two years left on his contract, there may some wriggle room in negotiations over a 24-year-old who, this season alone, has played on the left-wing, the right, in both full-back positions and even up front on the odd occasion.
Versatile? Yeah, you could say that.
Turkish reporter Serdar Ali Celikler, meanwhile, claims that West Ham saw a £21 million bid rejected by the reigning Super Lig champions a few months ago.
He does feel that Yilmaz is destined to be on the move this time around, though the financial muscle of Saudi Arabian football could see The Hammers fall short.
“Baris Alper Yilmaz is leaving,” Celikler explains. “West Ham United had an offer of 25 million euros.
“[But his destination] could be Saudi Arabia. They could prefer the money. Galatasaray’s management also thinks; ‘Let Barıs Alper Yilmaz win, let us win too’.”
Yilmaz ‘can go to the Premier League’ despite Napoli interest
Serie A leaders Napoli have also been linked.
Veteran journalist Sansal Buyuka feels that England may be the most likely destination at this stage, however. Though whether that is West Ham or rather Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa or Newcastle remains to be seen.
“I think Baris Alper Yilmaz can go to the Premier League,” Buyuka argues. “I got that feeling very clearly. If you come with a good transfer fee, I don’t think they will prevent him [from leaving].”
Scorer of 11 goals and provider of six more this term, the right-footed Yilmaz has seen his time split between one flank or the other.
Interestingly, he led the line for Turkey at Euro 2024. The speed he offers in behind and his ability to cover the entirety of the frontline would certainly give West Ham the sort of mobile, energetic presence they have lacked for much of the current campaign.
“I compare Baris Alper Yilmaz to Gareth Bale in terms of strength. He has the ability to sprint three or four meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball,” Ilker Puren, Yilmaz’s former coach at Ankara Keciorengucu, told the GS Gazete.
“One day, he will definitely play in the Premier League because physics comes to the fore there. He has also improved his positional knowledge.
“The level he is at now is close to Phil Foden.”
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