A week doesn’t go by without the Turkish media crediting us with some form of interest in Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun, and some interesting reports have emerged on that front once again today, claiming meetings have taken place in London over the weekend surrounding a £9m plus Aleksandar Mitrovic deal for long-term striker target, Cenk Tosun.
Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik claim that we are willing to offer Aleksandar Mitrovic PLUS £9m in an attempt to bring Tosun to St James’ Park this Janaury – allowing us to get our man and hand Besiktas a replacement up top.
Futbol Arena report a similar story, claiming Besiktas sent representatives to London over the the weekend, stating they held ‘positive talks’ with Mitrovic’s father, his representatives and the Serbian striker himself over the potential deal. Crucially, they claim Besiktas WOULD WANT Mitrovic as part of a deal that could see Tosun arrive on Tyneside.
Tosun is a player we’ve been linked with more than any other since the closing of the summer window, and his stock has only risen ever since, with the Turkish hitman scoring 10 goals in all competitions for Besiktas this season – including 4 in five Champions League appearances to send his side into the knockout stages.
Whilst these claims from Turkey may turn out to be completely false, it’s worth mentioning that Besiktas have shown interest in Mitrovic in the past, with the Shields Gazette claiming over the summer that they sent representatives to Tyneside to seal a deal – only to be put off by our extortionate £16m asking price.
One to watch perhaps. We are clearly open to allowing Mitrovic to leave, providing a striker arrives in his place, meaning this deal could well work pretty perfectly for both parties?
