Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a move to sign Galatasaray midfielder Aleksey Batrakov, as per TEAMtalk.
The Red Devils currently have Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount as specialist creative midfielders. Moreover, Shea Lacey and Youri Tielemans can provide cover in this area if needed.
However, Mount has struggled with fitness problems since joining from Chelsea, while Fernandes’ long-term future is currently uncertain at Old Trafford as he has entered the final few months of his current contract.
On the other hand, Tielemans is more comfortable in the deep-lying playmaker position, with Lacey still very young and needing time to develop. As a result, it appears Man Utd have started exploring options to strengthen the No.10 position.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that Man Utd sent scouts to watch Batrakov in action for Galatasaray against Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday night, where he helped his side win the game 2-0 by scoring both goals.
Apart from United, Chelsea and Arsenal have also stepped up their scouting on him, and they also kept a close eye on his performance in this encounter. Moreover, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool have expressed their interest in Batrakov.
Other than the English clubs, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop.
Battle
The report state that Galatasaray don’t want to part ways with him in January, with his existing deal set to run until 2031. However, he has a £50m release clause, which can be exercised next year. Cimbom are even considering handing him a fresh term with a salary hike to remove the exit clause.
Batrakov likes to be deployed in the No.10 position but is also comfortable on the flanks. In 12 appearances across all competitions, he has made eight goal contributions thus far this season.
Arsenal currently have Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Max Dowman as creative midfield options. So, they don’t need to invest more to add further depth to this position unless anyone leaves.
On the other hand, Chelsea currently have Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers as No.10 options. But Xabi Alonso is seemingly planning to add further depth to this position.
Batrakov is a highly talented player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Man Utd, Arsenal or Chelsea should any of those clubs purchase him.
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