Reports earlier this month suggested that, if West Ham United are willing to put £33.5 million on the table, the Premier League outfit could get their man.
If that is indeed the case, it appears that nobody told Okan Buruk.
The head coach of Galatasaray who is determined to retain the Super Lig giants’ best homegrown talent during a summer in which Victor Osimhen – scorer of 36 goals in 40 games on loan from Napoli – will say his goodbyes alongside a handful of other senior stars.
West Ham United are long-time admirers of Baris Alper Yilmaz. Their interest can be traced back to before Euro 2024, Yilmaz leading the line for Turkey during their impressive run to the quarter-finals.
Graham Potter’s side reportedly had a £21 million bid rejected by Galatasaray in January of this year too.
Now, four months on, Turkish reporter Sezgin Gelmez believes that a move to West Ham is still ‘on the table’ for the versatile Yilmaz, as Galatasaray hold out for £33.5 million.
Of course, the decision to keep or to sell will not be Buruk’s but those above him in the club’s hierarchy. Yet, the man who edged out Jose Mourinho to secure another Super Lig title has no intention of letting Yilmaz go without a fight.
Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk hopes West Ham do not sign Baris Alper Yilmaz
In addition to star striker Osimhen, Galatasaray will also lose veteran winger Dries Mertens and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera this summer.
Muslera was given a rather unique send-off, the 38-year-old shot-stopper scoring a penalty in the 3-0 win over Kayserispor which secured Galatasaray’s third successive league title and their 25th in total.
“Valuable players will leave us. We must make important transfers to replace Mertens and Muslera,” Buruk tells reporters, determined to retain those whose contacts still have a while to run as Galatasaray look to avoid further departures.
“Our priority is to protect the squad. There is no one among our Turkish players that we want to give up [even though] there are many suitors for Baris Alper.”
TBR Football report that, in addition to West Ham, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa all sent scouts to Istanbul to watch Galatasaray suffer a rare defeat at the hands of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas back in March.
Yilmaz did not score that day, but he does have 14 goals to go with his six assists this term.
Turkey star has been likened to Gareth Bale and Phil Foden
A footballer who can play anywhere across the frontline, Yilmaz has been used more often than not as a left-winger cutting in onto his right foot this term.
A winger capable of emulating the threat of Jarrod Bowen on the opposite flank appears to an option under consideration at the London Stadium for this window. West Ham like Celtic’s Player of the Year Daizen Maeda, for instance.
“I compare Baris Alper Yilmaz to Gareth Bale in terms of strength,” Ilker Puren, Yilmaz’s former coach at Ankara Keciorengucu, told GS Gazete. “He has the ability to sprint three or four meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball.
“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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