West Ham United are preparing a formal offer to sign Galatasaray right winger Baris Alper Yilmaz, according to Fichajes.
The Turkish international moved to Rams Park in 2021 from Ankara Keciörengücü and has since been a key player for the Cimbom. He enjoyed his most prolific season in the Turkish top flight with 20 goal contributions across all competitions for Okan Buruk’s league-winning side.
He has extended his strong run of form to the current campaign, where he has scored four goals and provided four assists for the Turkish league leaders.
English fans may have seen a glimpse of what the winger can do in the clash against Liverpool on Tuesday night, and it’s no surprise West Ham are now looking to secure his signature ahead of other rivals.
According to Fichajes, the Hammers have expressed interest in signing Yilmaz as a potential option to bolster their depth and provide goal contributions to their attack.
The report adds that the East London outfit are preparing a £34m formal offer to sign the 25-year-old, a fee they believe could test Galatasaray’s resolve.
Yilmaz’s contract with the 25-time Turkish champions will run until 2028, so it won’t be surprising if they demand a fee above West Ham’s potential offer, as more clubs will likely express interest in him in the summer.
Prolific forward
West Ham earned their first point in three games on Monday night after Jarrod Bowen’s strike cancelled out Michael Keane’s 18th-minute opener.
There was little deviation in West Ham’s statistics against Everton compared with what they have produced for most of the season.
That came as no surprise, with Nuno Espirito Santo only two days into the job and beginning to introduce the ‘small steps’ he believes are required to bring change.
The Hammers did register 14 attempts on goal — above their average of 10.2 across the previous five league fixtures — although the number that hit the target was lower than their usual return.
The most striking improvement was in their presence inside the opposition penalty area, recording 29 touches compared to an average of just 19 in their other Premier League outings so far.
Yilmaz would be a key addition to enhance Nuno’s style of play, as he’d provide the Portuguese manager with an Elanga-esque forward to be a constant threat against opposition defences.
