Premier League giants Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are watching Galatasaray star Baris Alper Yilmaz with one scout feeling he could be the ‘Turkish Valverde’.
With only four games remaining, Galatasaray are closing in on the Super Lig title, four points clear of Istanbul neighbours Fenerbahce after winning 30 of their 34 matches.
The stellar form of Baris Alper Yilmaz has been a big reason for Gala’s success in 2023/24, scoring six goals and providing nine assists while catching the eye of Aston Villa, Tottenham, Man United, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Scouts, HITC have been told, have been drawn to Yilmaz’s versatility. While there are some doubts about his ‘best position’. Yilmaz’s ability to perform impressively in a variety of different roles means he is not short of admirers. While seemingly a right-winger, first and foremost, the 23-year-old has also filled in at right-back, on the left and at centre-forward throughout the campaign.
Tottenham and Aston Villa eye Galatasaray star
One talentspotter has even drawn comparisons with Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, the Uruguay international one of the most adaptable footballers in the game today. A quick, powerful runner, Yilmaz also seems to possess Valverde’s renowned athleticism, driving down the flank before pulling crosses back into the penalty area or going for goal himself.
Yilmaz set up one of Galatasaray’s goals during that famous 3-2 win at Old Trafford in the Champions League group stages, a performance which may have earned him a place on Man United’s wishlist.
Turkish publication Aksam back up our information about Aston Villa’s interest, while explaining that Galatasaray want around £22 million for the former Ankara Keciorengucu ace.
Likened to Gareth Bale and Phil Foden
“I compare Baris Alper Yilmaz to Gareth Bale in terms of strength. He has the ability to sprint 3-4 meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball,” former coach Ilker Puren tells GS Gazete, also drawing similarities between the Gala speedster and a certain Manchester City star.
“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.”
Aston Villa’s interest may be with the likely departure of loanee Nicolo Zaniolo in mind, Unai Emery potentially in the market for another attacking midfielder.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are looking into the Turkish Super Lig for potential value-for-money signings. Ange Postecoglou’s team are also fans of Fenerbahce duo Ismail Yuksek and Ferdi Kadioglu.
Spurs are also facing uncertainty over the future of Timo Werner. They have the option to sign the RB Leipzig-owned forward for £15 million but we understand that Tottenham would prefer to extend his loan until the summer of 2025.