Nottingham Forest are keeping tabs on two Turkey internationals heading into 2025 with Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz and Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy on the Premier League club’s radar.
The Turkish national team appears to be on the verge of something of a Golden Generation at present.
After coming within touching distance of the semi-finals of last summer’s European Championships, big things are expected from a host of talented young players who made their name back home in the Super Lig. Arda Guler, Kerem Akturkoglu and Orkun Kokcu have already made big-money moves. The former joined Real Madrid, while the latter duo ended up at Benfica respectively. Ferdi Kadioglu, the all-action left-back, swapped Fenerbahce for Brighton and Hove Albion to the tune of £25 million.
In the meantime, Baris Alper Yilmaz and Semih Kilicsoy are well-positioned to complete their own transfers to a big league in Europe in the upcoming months.
Nottingham Forest eye Baris Alper Yilmaz and Semih Kilicsoy
HITC is aware that Nottingham Forest, who are in their third season back in the Premier League, are keeping an eye on both attackers and seem to be assembling a team that is capable of much more than just avoiding relegation. Players like Nikola Milenkovic, James Ward-Prowse, Alex Moreno, and Morato may have been difficult for Forest to sign in prior transfer windows. The team led by Nuno Espirito Santo, who surprised Liverpool last weekend at Anfield, seems to be spending more money in affluent areas these days. Their fascination with Kilicsoy and Yilmaz contributes to that tendency.
Yilmaz led the line brilliantly for Turkey at Euro 2024, leading Virgil van Dijk a merry dance in the last-eight. His performances, HITC understands, caught the eye of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Aston Villa to name but three. Reportedly valued at around £22 million, the tireless Yilmaz played as a striker this summer but has also performed excellently for Turkish champions Galatasaray in a wide role. Comparisons have been drawn, due largely to his speed and eye for goal, with Gareth Bale, Phil Foden and even Kylian Mbappe. “I compare Baris Alper Yilmaz to Gareth Bale in terms of strength. He has the ability to sprint three or four meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball,” former coach Ilker Puren tells GS Gazete.
One day, he will definitely play in the Premier League because physics comes to the fore there. He has also improved his positional knowledge.
“The level he is at now is close to Phil Foden.”
Besiktas and Galatasaray stars in high demand
Kilicsoy, a wonderkid for Besiktas, bases his style of play on a former Manchester City player of Foden’s. The 19-year-old, who is two-footed and an instinctive finisher, plays an attacking style reminiscent of Sergio Aguero. Kilicsoy made just 20 Super Lig starts for Besiktas in 2024–2025 but scored 11 goals. Murat Teber, his representative, acknowledged that Manchester City and Arsenal had been “watching” Kilicsoy, confirming the latest HITC claim. He informs Sporx that Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint-Germain, and Monaco are all interested.
Aston Villa reportedly made their own summer bid of £12.6 million, according to a former Besiktas executive. According to sources in Turkey, Nottingham Forest is also keeping an eye on the youth. If Forest wants to increase their interest in Kilicsoy, they’ll probably have to compete with some of the top clubs on the continent, just like they did with Baris Alper Yilmaz. Thus, even though the two-time European champions would face a formidable opponent, it’s important to keep in mind that not too long ago, very few people could have envisaged Ward-Prowse and Milenkovic wearing Garibaldi red.
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