Galatasaray Target €70m Man City Star Phil Foden as Marquee 10 Nominee

By
Emre Sarigul
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Galatasaray's supporters celebrate their 2017-2018 champion title in Istanbul on May 19, 2018, after the Turkish Spor Toto Super league football match between Goztepe and Galatasaray which Galatasaray won 1-0. - Galatasaray have won the Turkish Super League for the 21st time. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Galatasaray are dreaming big in the summer transfer window. The reigning Süper Lig champions have reportedly set their sights on pulling off one of the most audacious transfer coups in Turkish football history, targeting Manchester City’s world-class playmaker Phil Foden.

According to a sensational report by Fanatik, the Yellow-Red administration has decided to push all financial boundaries to test the waters for the €70 million-rated England international.

The Gardi Connection: Full Authorization Granted

Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek has reportedly handed full negotiating authority to influential Italian super-agent George Gardi, the mastermind behind bringing several world-class talents to Istanbul in recent years.

It was Gardi who initially floated Foden’s name to the Galatasaray board. With the 26-year-old playmaker entering the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and seeking fresh challenges after experiencing reduced playing time last season, Galatasaray smell a golden opportunity to strike.

While a transfer of this financial magnitude remains incredibly complex—with several elite European clubs also tracking the Englishman—Galatasaray’s leadership is determined to go all out to make this dream a reality.

Alternative Targets: Bruno Fernandes and Young Talents on the Radar

Galatasaray’s search for an elite creative spark in the ‘number 10’ role does not stop with Foden. Knowing the difficulty of pryng the Manchester City star away from England, the club has drawn up a highly ambitious list of elite alternatives:

  • Bruno Fernandes: The Manchester United captain remains high on the club’s wishlist as a marquee creative anchor.

  • Can Uzun: The highly-rated Turkish youngster currently playing for Eintracht Frankfurt is also being heavily monitored.

  • Julio Enciso: The 22-year-old Strasbourg midfielder has emerged as a major target. Enciso is viewed as a highly attractive option because his age profiles perfectly for the Turkish Football Federation’s newly structured “+4 Under-23” foreign player registration rule.