Reports from Turkey claim that Fulham and Trabzonspor have agreed a €5 million fee for the Black Sea Storm’s top scorer Burak Yilmaz.
Turkish newspaper Vatan reports that Yilmaz, who has scored thirty goals in just 26 appearances so far this season, has also agreed personal terms with the Premier League club. Negotiations between Fulham and Yilmaz’s agent, Ali Egesel, have resulted in the striker verbally agreeing an initial three-year contract, with an option for an additional year, worth around £40,000 per week.
Yilmaz, who had previously failed to live up to the high expectations set for him when he excelled in youth football, has a €5 million release clause in his current deal and has previously talked excitedly about the possibility of moving to either England or Spain. The 28 year-old, who has scored three goals in his fifteen appearances for Turkey, only really blossomed at Trabzonspor, despite previously playing for both Fenerbache and Beskitas. Trabzonspor manager Senol Gunes, a key mentor to the 6ft 2in forward, revived his career as Yilmaz followed up an impressive loan spell by scoring nineteen goals in thirty appearances during the 2010-11 campaign.
Yilmaz has previously been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and Ajax and there has no comment yet from either Trabzonspor or Fulham on these reports.
Pretty sure he is 26, turning 27 over the summer….
Sounds promising. If the reports are true then I’d have to say that paying out £40,000 per week is a sign of ambition. Of course ambition and naivety are often close together. Looking at his history he’s flopped at most clubs other than Trabzonspor, so this would be a gamble. But if he’s attracting interest from Ajax and Athletico Madrid there must be something to him.