Man Utd now want 24y/o star who terrorised Van Dijk at Euro 2024, he can play in 5 positions - report
Manchester United are interested in recruiting the services of Galatasaray attacking midfielder Baris Alper Yilmaz this summer, according to Turkish outlet Sabah.
The Red Devils want to bolster their attacking ranks after losing Anthony Martial for free at the end of last season and watching some of their forwards struggle to impress.
Yilmaz ended 2023-24 with seven goals and 12 assists in 55 games across all competitions, helping his club land back-to-back Super Lig titles, and Gala want around €30 million from suitors before agreeing to sell him.
The 24-year-old was one of the best players for Turkey at the ongoing European Championship, putting in some fine displays before they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-final.
Yilmaz gave Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk a tough time all game, regularly terrorising the Dutchman with his pace, strength and skills, winning duels against him on the ground and in the air, which led to praises from him after the game.
Man United are not the only club keen on the Turkey international star, with Aston Villa also interested in his services, while offers are expected for him from Italy, Spain and France.
While Yilmaz is primarily a winger who can be deployed on either flank, he also plays as a number 9, a left-back and a right-back, featuring in those five positions several times last term.
It appears such versatility has attracted Man United as manager Erik ten Hag could do with a player capable of filling in across a couple of departments.
Apart from his excellent dribbling, finishing and passing abilities, the Red Devils’ target is also a brilliant tackler, which is why he has performed brilliantly at full-back.
Signing such a player will do Man United plenty of good, but they need to beat fierce competition to his services as more suitors are expected to emerge for him in the coming weeks after his performances at Euro 2024.