Transfers

25-year-old Leeds United held talks to sign in January has now decided he will leave this summer

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Leeds United did not bring in any new attackers during the January transfer window, but that does not mean they didn’t try.

The Whites were linked with a few different creative attacking targets but in the end, opted against bring anyone in. That is a strategy that has paid dividends thanks to the form of Willy Gnonto.

Fabio Carvalho, David Brooks and Manuel Benson were among the options Leeds considered last month, but due to a failure to guarantee game time, they either went elsewhere, or stayed put.

But another player Leeds also held talks to sign was Galatasaray’s Kerem Akturkoglu, with some reports from abroad suggesting the Whites were willing to pay close to £13 million.

However, for various reasons, the transfer unsurprisingly did not happen, with manager Okan Buruk keen to keep Akturkoglu at the club. However, that may not be for much longer.

Akturkoglu wants Galatasaray exit

According to Fotospor, Akturkoglu has already decided he will be leaving Galatasaray in the summer, informing his agent not to negotiate a contract renewal.

It is said the 25-year-old believes he has already achieved all he can in Turkey, but is also dissatisfied with his current sale, feeling that he is undervalued by the club.

Galatasaray-v-Sparta-Praha-UEFA-Europa-League
Photo by YAGIZ GURTUG/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Akturkoglu has attracted interest from top-flight clubs recently and so any potential deal for Leeds is likely to rely on them being promoted, considering the figures that were being discussed last month.

At the same time, Akturkoglu reportedly has his eyes set on the French league and so that, coupled with other reasons, make a transfer unlikely regardless of the division Leeds are in.

Leeds are already well stocked for players in his position anyway and so this would not be much of a loss if they missed out, with priorities very much elsewhere.