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Liverpool transfer news: Scout deployed to kickstart tracking of four potential evolutionary targets from same club
Samuel Bannister 3 hours ago
Liverpool are keeping an eye on four potential targets from Super Lig side Galatasaray and their efforts have already begun, according to transfer news in Turkey.
Per
Fanatik, Liverpool are monitoring Sacha Boey, Yunus Akgun, Kerem Akturkoglu and Victor Nelsson. According to the Turkish outlet, their scouting mission began on September 16, when they sent a representative to watch Galatasaray take on Konyaspor.
Galatasaray accommodated their request after Liverpool’s officials initially struggled to secure a ticket. And they might be seeing more of them in the months to follow.
Boey, Akgun, Akturkoglu and Nelsson all started the match against Konyaspor. Apart from Akturkoglu, they all lasted for the full duration of the 2-1 win.
According to
Fanatik, Liverpool will be keeping tabs on them for the duration of the season. Therefore, they must have liked what they saw to some extent.
Boey is a right-back who has represented France up to under-20 level. Now 22 years old, he joined Galatasaray from Rennes in 2021.
Liverpool have Trent Alexander-Arnold as their main right-back, but brought in Calvin Ramsay as competition for him over the summer.
The
report indicates that Boey has been a standout player for Galatasaray this season. As such, European admirers will be taking note.
Liverpool transfer news: Wing duo and centre-back also being watched
Akgun is also 22 and he plays as a winger. He came through the Galatasaray academy and earlier this year became a full Turkey international.
This season is representing his reintegration at Galatasaray after two loan spells with Adana Demirspor.
Akturkoglu is also a winger; he started on the left, with Akgun on the right, in the game in question. The 23-year-old has been with Galatasaray since 2020, when they plucked him from the Turkish third tier.
He has repaid their confidence since and has also earned full Turkey caps – 13 of them, to be precise.
Finally, fellow 23-year-old Nelson is a centre-back who joined Galatasaray from Copenhagen in his native Denmark – for whom he is a full international – in 2021.
He has a €25million release clause in his contract, which would equate to around £22million. Liverpool, of course, have Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips as centre-back options.
However, Van Dijk and Matip are both now 31 years old. Therefore, Liverpool might need to think about evolving their backline again in the months and years to come.
Contractually, Galatasaray are in a relatively healthy position with all four players. Akgun’s terms expire soonest, in 2024, while Boey’s do in 2025. The terms for Akturkoglu and Nelsson are due to run until 2026.
Galatasaray quartet to keep an eye on
It remains to be seen whether any of the players will fulfil those commitments. Alternatively, clubs like
Liverpool could give Galatasaray something to think about.
This season, the team from Istanbul do not have European football on offer. Therefore, Liverpool would have to rely on further travels to Turkish domestic games to get more insight on their four options.
Only time will tell whether they actually decide to pursue any of the quartet. Top clubs will likely be filing reports on dozens, if not hundreds of players.
But if these players are genuinely on Liverpool’s radar, they will want to keep performing well in the Super Lig. Galatasaray are currently fourth after eight games.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have been one of Europe’s strongest sides in recent years. Their own start to the Premier League season has not been ideal, but joining them would still be a step up – and a new challenge – for either Boey, Akgun, Akturkoglu or Nelsson.
None of them have Premier League experience, so would have to adapt to their new surroundings if a move materialised. For now, it seems they are just at the stage of being ones to keep an eye on.
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