Imagine him & Gray: Spurs moving for 25m Kulusevski rival
Imagine him & Gray: Spurs moving for 25m Kulusevski rival
The transfer window is now in full swing, and after an eventful first Premier League season in charge that ended with Europa League qualification, Tottenham Hotspur are starting to back Ange Postecoglou.
The Lilywhites look set to spend £40m on Leeds United's incredibly exciting youngster Archie Gray in what would be their first permanent transfer of the window.
However, based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co aren't quite done yet, and the latest player touted for a move to N17 could be the perfect rival for Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Turkey, Tottenham Hotspur are among several Premier League clubs keen on Galatasaray star BarıŠAlper Yılmaz.
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United are interested in the 23-year-old dynamo.
According to the report, the three clubs will take concrete steps to land the talented player once he returns from Euro 2024, although any move will cost at least €30m, which converts to around £25m.
It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but based on his performances last term, it could be one worth pursuing, especially if he can challenge Kulusevski or form a partnership with Gray.
Why Ylmaz would be a good signing
If Levy and Co want to bring Yilmaz in as a potential rival to Kulusevski, how does he stack up to the Swede? Well, from a pure output perspective, rather well.
In 55 appearances last season, he scored seven goals and provided 12 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.89 games for the Turkish giants.
In contrast, the former Juventus man scored eight goals and provided three assists in 39 games for the North Londoners, which equates to a goal involvement every 3.54 games.
Interestingly, even when breaking it down to minutes per goal involvement, the Turkish international comes out on top.
His grand total of 3490 minutes last season means he produced a goal involvement every 183 minutes, while the Spurs ace's 2964 minutes of first-team football means he produced one every 269 minutes.
If the 23-year-old does make his way to N17 in the coming weeks, he could well be the club's second permanent signing behind Gray this summer, and there is every chance the pair could form an effective partnership for Postecoglou on the right flank.
The young Englishman may be a central midfielder, but his versatility and skillset saw him start 30 games at right-back for Leeds last season, and due to his relative inexperience, that is now his most played position in senior football.
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The "ridiculous" youngster could star in North London for over a decade.
So, if he is deployed there in North London and the Rize-born star can maintain his impressive form ahead of Kulusevski, the Lilywhites could have a new-look right flank.
Ultimately, it might prove to be challenging transfer to get over the line given the interest from other Premier League sides, but given how well he played last season and the fact that he's been an important cog in Turkey's machine at the Euros, Yilmaz looks like a player worth fighting for.