Besiktas are interested in signing Burak Yilmaz and Demba Ba in order to have reliable goalscorers up front.
After Besiktas confirmed the transfer of Serbian defender Dusko Tosic to China’s Guangzhou R&F on Friday, the Istanbul club has set its eyes on Burak Yilmaz and Demba Ba.
Wrapping up a lackluster season in fourth place, Besiktas are looking to revive its lineup while parting ways with Serbian defender Dusko Tosic. The Eagles confirmed Friday that they have agreed to sell Tosic, who spent nearly three years in Istanbul, to China’s Guangzhou R&F. The Chinese club later announced that it has signed Tosic on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Media reports suggested that Besiktas will likely earn around 4.5 million euros from Tosic’s transfer.
The Black Eagles, meanwhile, are mulling new transfers in the form of Burak Yilmaz and Demba Ba, two players with past ties to Besiktas and Chinese clubs. Unsatisfied with the performance of its strikers this season, Besiktas is looking to add two new names to its center-forward lineup while it plans to dump Negredo and Vagner Love. Mustafa Pektemek and Cyle Larin, who cost the cash-strapped club TL 52 million ($11.59 million), are also on that list, according to media reports.
The club’s transfer committee has reportedly reached out to Burak Yilmaz of Trabzonspor and Göztepe’s Demba Ba, with the latter singled out as closest to a transfer given his contract with Göztepe expires this season.
Burak Yilmaz, 33, previously played for all four of Turkey’s four powerhouses including Besiktas, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, before signing with Chinese Super League side Beijing Guo’an. He was among the top scorers in the Super Lig last season with 23 goals.
Senegalese striker Demba Ba will make the move earlier than thought while the transfer of Yilmaz depends on the sale of Besiktas’ strikers. Ba signed with Besiktas in 2014 to the tune of 6 million euros. He became a fan favourite after a fabulous hat-trick in a UEFA Champions League game. The former Chelsea striker also helped the team to success in UEFA Europa League in the same season before he signed a three-year deal with Shanghai Shenhua in 2015. After a loan return to Besiktas last year, he joined Göztepe on a free transfer in January.
Besiktas scouts are also hunting for young talent in Europe and South America ahead of the new season. The club meanwhile will negotiate another deal with Atiba Hutchinson as his contract expires this season. Besiktas has a clause to extend it for one more year. Coach Senol Günes is reportedly eager to keep the Canadian player for at least one more season.