Galatasaray are lining up Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill as a replacement for the outbound Maicon in January.

The Brazilian defender came close to leaving the club on deadline day but opted to remain at Galatasaray in order to play UEFA Champions League football.

However, Maicon has found himself on the fringes of the squad and has even fallen behind 18-year-old defender Ozan Kabak in recent weeks.

According to the Turkish outlet A Spor, Galatasaray have placed Chelsea’s Gary Cahill as their number one choice to replace Maicon in January.

Per the source, Galatasaray will try to negotiate a reasonable transfer fee seeing that Cahill’s contract with Chelsea expires at the end of the season.

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The former England international has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following the appointment of Maurizio Sarri.

Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Cahill in recent weeks. Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho previously worked with the 32-year-old during his time as Chelsea manager.