Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun is a name that has been mentioned on several occasions ahead of the January transfer window, however club president Fikret Orman has warned interested parties that the Turkish star will not come cheap this winter.
It has been confirmed in recent months that NUFC scouts have been keeping an eye on the 26-year old forward, and he’s likely to have impressed, registering 8 goals and two assists in 13 outings for his side this season, following a 24-goal haul in the Turkish league last term.
It appears Rafa is a keen admirer, but he won’t be the only one given his recent form, with reports also suggesting Crystal Palace and Tottenham have also been keeping tabs on him this season.
Turkish outlet Aksam News claimed this week that we could table a £17.5m bid this winter to test Besiktas’ resolve, but club president Fikret Orman has hit back at such rumours, stating it may take more than that to land their star striker:
“There’s no figure for him (Tosun),”
“These players are like my children, I have an interest in their careers. They aren’t machines.
“Mbappe went to Paris Saint-Germain for €180m, Keita for €70 or €80m, so placing a higher value than €20m (£17.5m) on Tosun is not crazy.
“If Mbappe had played for Besiktas, would PSG have paid that amount? We need to raise the brand value of Turkish football.”
The Besiktas president appears to be in quite a bullish mood regarding the prospect of losing one of his club’s prize assets, and his stance on this potential deal not only shows just how 2017’s crazy transfer fees will have a knock on effect in the windows to come, but also emphasises just how difficult it will be for us to sign a quality striker in January.
It’s a notoriously difficult time to do business, so unless our uncertain situation at boardroom level is resolved by then, I’m not expecting to see us splash the cash on a potentially expensive striker such as Tosun.
If new owners arrive in time and are ready to back Rafa this winter then we have every chance of making moves in the January market, but for now, I’m hoping to see progress with a potential takeover before I get behind any possible transfer deal.
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