Chelsea keen on 18-year-old Turkish striker Ali Akman valued at £3m
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are interested in 18-year-old Turkish striker Ali Akman.
The Turkey Under-21 international is enjoying an excellent season for Bursaspor having scored nine goals and assisted four more in just 17 appearances. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Despite his tender age, the youngster has already made 43 appearances for the Turkish side. Primarily a centre-forward, Akman is capable of playing anywhere along the frontline.
The player’s performances have not gone unnoticed. Chelsea will have to compete against the likes of Galatasaray, RB Salzburg and Arsenal to land the youngster.
Akman made his debut as a 16-year-old. He has since established himself as a key component of a very young and exciting Bursaspor squad. The youngster famously scored from the halfway line playing for Turkey U17s in a friendly against Belarus in August 2018.
He has only improved since then and is now looking to take the next step in his career.
Akman has just six months left on his current deal. He has no intention of signing a new one, prompting Bursaspor to seek buyers this month.
While the Turks are seeking £3m for Akman, they may need to settle for less. Given his contract situation, they risk losing him for a free in the summer.
With Olivier Giroud’s contract expiring in the summer, the Blues will do well to bring in a young striker to replace the Frenchman. Whether Akman will be that man remains to be seen.
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Akman’s contract offers us a chance to land the talented youngster for a token amount. If he continues to develop as expected, Chelsea could have a real talent on their hands.
The youngster is, however, attracting attention from Italy, Germany and France. The Blues will need to act first before more teams join in.
