Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray have finalized two key acquisitions on transfer deadline day with Nottingham Forest defender Serge Aurier, 31 joining on a permanent move and Carlos Vinicius joining from Fulham on loan.

Ivory Coast defender Aurier,, joins Galatasaray permanently after a brief stint at Nottingham Forest. Since September 2022, he made 41 appearances for Forest and brings valuable experience to the Galatasaray backline.

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Aurier was brought in as a replacement for Sacha Boey who joined Bayern Munich on a transfer last week.

The Lions had until later than most major European leagues to find a replacement as the Super Lig winter transfer window runs until 8 February.

Aurier is currently on international duty with the Ivory Coast at AFCON and is expected to join Galatasaray once the tournament is over – which could run until September 11.

Ivory Coast are still in the tournament after reaching the semi-finals of the tournament.

Brazilian striker Vinicius, 28, arrives on loan from Fulham until the end of the season. Struggling for playing time at Fulham this season (2 Premier League appearances), he aims to reignite his goalscoring form with Galatasaray.

These signings boost Galatasaray’s ambitions both domestically and in Europe. They currently lead the Super Lig by 3 points and have reached the Europa League play-off round.

The addition of Aurier and Vinicius strengthens their squad depth and potential for success in both competitions.