Aston Villa have joined the race for 18-year-old Turkish centre-back Yasin Ozcan, who plays for Kasimpasa, sources have told Turkish-Football.
Ozcan was scouted by several clubs last season and attracted the eye of Villa who have made enquiries for the defender.
READ: Who is Arda Guler? The 18-year-old ‘Turkish Messi’ Wanted by Europe’s Biggest Clubs
Villa manager Unai Emery is keen on versatile players, Ozcan can play are centre-back or left-back as he did in his breakthrough season.
Despite his young age he made 40 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring three goals.
The Super Lig has become an exciting league for young prospects who are going for cheap prices relative to major leagues in Europe.
The league has being closely monitored by clubs wanting to sign the next big talent, several players over the past few seasons have being snapped up by major clubs such as Arda Guler to Real Madrid, Ahmetcan Kaplan to Ajax, Yunus Emre Konak to Brentford to name a few – all were aged under 20.
Ozcan has also been closely linked with Liverpool as reported by the Liverpool Echo recently.
Strengthening the central defence is believed to be a priority for new manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes.
A product of the Kasimpasa academy, Ozcan offers versatility as he can also fill in at left-back. He made a remarkable debut in the Turkish Super Lig at just 16 years old in August 2022. Since then, he has accumulated 60 appearances, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
Kasimpasa manager Sami Ugurlu confirmed interest in Ozcan but wouldn’t reveal the specific club, suggesting competition from other European teams.
Kasimpasa want to keep Ozcan on for another season but could struggle with growing interest both domestically and from abroad.
