Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Galatasaray winger Kerem Akturkoglu this summer.
After Spanish giant Atletico Madrid and French side Lyon sent scouts to follow the 23-year-old footballer to matches against Beşiktaş and Barcelona, the two Premier League clubs have also entered the race as likely suitors, reported Turkish language daily Akşam Tuesday, via Daily Sabah.
Galatasaray executive Isitan Gun confirmed that much when he admitted that there's clear interest in the winger: "Kerem Akturkoglu had a very good season last year and is one of our best players this season," he said. It's too early, but two Premier League teams and some La Liga teams have already expressed their interest in Kerem Akturkoglu."
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The club is reportedly expecting more than 20 million euros (£16.6m) for the attacker after recently rejecting a 15million euros (£12.5m) bid from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg. With that all in mind, in case you don't know too much about him to know whether he's worth that value, football.london has taken a brief look at the Turkish star's career so far.
Early career
Akturkoglu had a slow start to his career. The now Turkish international never made an appearance for his youth side Basaksehir. He was eventually loaned out to Bodrumspor in 2016, where he scored four goals in 27 games in the TFF Third League. After a spell at Karacabey Belediyespor - also in the third division - he finally came into his own at 24 Erzincanspor in the 2019-20 season, where he found the net 20 times in just 34 games.
His form attracted interest from Galatasaray, whom he signed for on September 2 2020. He continued to rise after signing for the Super Lig outfit, and as a result, he earned his first international cap in a friendly with Azerbaijan in May 2021. Akturkoglu has scored three goals in eight appearances for Turkey.
Standout season
The winger has been one of the better performers for Galatasaray in what has been an unusually unsuccessful season for them. After 30 league matches, the Turkish giants sit in 15th place in the Super Lig. They don't run the risk of being relegated by any means, but they will certainly be looking to bounce back next campaign.
Despite the team's poor form, Akturkoglu, who has a contract with Galatasaray until the summer of 2026, has been a rare bright light, scoring 11 goals and registering seven assists in all competitions.
