Aston Villa face a crucial couple of weeks in the transfer window prior to the start of the new campaign.
Unai Emery has bolstered his squad significantly since the window opened, but with Champions League football set to grace Villa Park next term, perhaps another couple of signings are required.
With Moussa Diaby being sold, Emery is looking to add another winger to his squad. Will he manage to bring someone else in over the coming weeks?
Aston Villa eyeing move for Euro 2024 star
According to Turkish outlet Fotospor, Villa have reportedly held talks with Galatasaray regarding the signing of winger Baris Yilmaz.
Monchi has met with Galatasaray sporting director Cenk Ergün in the hopes of sealing a deal to bring the Euro 2024 star to the Midlands before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.
The Turkish side are looking for a transfer fee in the region of €30m (£26m), yet the report goes on to state that this figure sounds ambitious, which means Emery may be able to secure his services for a slightly lower fee.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances created
1
Key passes per game
1
Shots per game
0.8
Successful dribbles per game
1.6
Total duels won per game
5.8
Yilmaz could be an ideal replacement for Diaby, especially because of his solid club form of late.
Baris Yilmaz’s season in numbers
Diaby’s sale was perhaps a surprising one. His only season in England saw the Frenchman score ten goals plus grab nine assists, despite his inconsistent nature.
An offer of £50m was far too great to turn down for the former Bayer Leverkusen winger, giving the manager some funds to bolster his attacking options.
Yilmaz enjoyed a productive 2023/24 campaign for Galatasaray, making 55 appearances across all competitions, registering 19 goal contributions – seven goals and 12 assists in the process as the club won the league title.
Among his own teammates, Yilmaz ranked fifth for goals and assists (12) in the Turkish top flight, while also ranking fifth for shots per game (1.6), fourth for big chances created (ten) and first for successful dribbles per game (1.8), demonstrating his excellent attacking qualities from a wide position.
The winger was part of the Turkey side which reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, playing every minute. He failed to score, but Yilmaz created a big chance, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 1.6 dribbles per game during the tournament.
His performance against the Netherlands drew praise from Virgil Van Dijk, who said: "Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive. It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us. He couldn't score a goal though. If we were to describe him in any way, he is a really important player.”
High praise from one of the finest defenders in the world, proving just how wonderful a talent Yilmaz is.
There is no doubt that he could cause chaos should he move to the Premier League. With Emery requiring a replacement for Diaby, the Turk would be the perfect replacement.
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