English Clubs Race to Sign Galatasaray Star Midfielder

Arsenal and Liverpool are racing hard to sign Aleksey Batrakov after sending scouts to watch the 21-year-old playing this week.

The Galatasaray playmaker featured in the club’s 4-2 victory over Lille on Wednesday, 21 October. Both club representatives were impressed by what they saw from the Russian international.

Batrakov only joined the Turkish giants this summer from boyhood club Lokomotiv Moscow for £25 million. The move bypassed previous UK government sanction barriers that prevented English Premier League (EPL) sides from negotiating directly with Russian clubs. Prior to his Istanbul move, Paris Saint-Germain had monitored the midfielder before prioritising other targets.

The youngster has made a bright start in Turkey, registering two goals and two assists. While Galatasaray have no desire to sell, his contract reportedly contains a release clause – valued at up to £42.5 million – that applies exclusively to clubs in Europe’s top four leagues.

With Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City also tracking the player, a fierce five-way EPL bidding war could be on the horizon if Batrakov maintains his impressive early-season form.

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