Daniel Lewis

Tue 10 October 2023 18:10, UK

West Ham United have placed Galatasaray midfielder Kerem Akturkoglu among their list of midfielder targets, according to Daily Sabah.

The Turkish outlet reported on Tuesday (10 October), as per T24, that Premier League rivals Tottenham and Arsenal are also interested in Akturkoglu.

Akturkoglu scored against Manchester United in the Champions League last week and is said to be being watched up close by the English clubs.

The report by T24 read: “Tottenham Hotspur’s successful coach Ange Postecoglou follows Kerem Akturkoglu closely.

“Arsenal scouts also watched Kerem Akturkoglu in the Manchester United match.

“The national football team player is also considered one of West Ham United’s midfield candidates.”

Fine form

Akturkoglu certainly made a name for himself when firing home an equaliser for Galatasaray, before Mauro Icardi sealed a shock 3-2 Champions League win at Old Trafford on 3 October.

The 24-year-old now has five goals and six assists in all competitions for Galatasaray this season, which goes a long way to explaining the links with three Premier League heavyweights.

He is under contract until 2026, meaning that Gala will not be forced to cash in on the versatile attacker unless their valuation is met in full in January or beyond.

Akturkoglu, who has been capped 22 times by Turkey at senior level, has played largely on the left-hand side of attacking midfield this season [WhoScored], which is not exactly a position West Ham are light in.

But with Lucas Paqueta potentially on his way out at some point, and Mohammed Kudus possibly being used in more of a central position, United appear to have their eyes on an alternative wide option.

One thing is for sure: more performances like the one we saw at Old Trafford last week, and it will be more than just West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal in for his signature.

In other West Ham news, pundit Darren Bent believes a Hammers player is good enough to get into Manchester United’s starting line-up.