West Ham ready Yilmaz transfer as £29m Galatasaray exit news emerges
West Ham could seal a deal for Galatasaray star Baris Alper Yilmaz to start their summer business.
Graham Potter is in desperate need of attacking reinforcements in the transfer window after an underwhelming start to his reign in East London.
The Hammers have won just four of his first 17 matches in charge and have lacked firepower with the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Mohammed Kudus failing to impress.
Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme also have not had the required impact since their summer moves, with injuries playing their part at the London Stadium.
West Ham can seal Yilmaz deal amid exit revelation
Alper Yilmaz is a player who has been on the London Stadium radar for several years, and they might be able to strike a deal this time.
Turkish journalist Sezgin Gelmez has claimed, via GS Gazete (20 May), that the Hammers are considering a deal for the 24-year-old.
The report states that the Super Lig giants would require a fee of £25-29million to allow the 14-goal star to leave.
Yilmaz would be a great addition for West Ham
The young attacker can play on both flanks, although he is primarily a left winger and would be a great asset for Potter.
The Irons reportedly tried to sign the 26-cap international in the winter window but a deal did not materialise and it could be revived amid their recent attacking woes.
| Stats (All competitions) | Yilmaz |
| Matches | 48 |
| Goals | 14 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Minutes played | 3,833 |
The Hammers have scored 43 goals in the Premier League, which is the sixth-worst record, with only the three relegated teams, Manchester United and Everton, having worse records in front of goal.
Yilmaz has notched 14 goals and six assists in 48 appearances in all competitions for the Turkish outfit this season and would add a different dimension to the attack.
Those numbers would likely increase if he was playing with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta regularly in the English top-flight.
Potter needs to be backed by David Sullivan if he is to turn the mess that he inherited from Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten around, and Yilmaz could be the perfect start to doing exactly that before it is too late.