"He’s a very special player" - Arsenal target told he is good enough to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid
Former Turkish midfielder Selcuk Inan has said that reported Arsenal target Baris Yilmaz could play for the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona. He heaped praise on the winger and also highlighted the area he needs to improve.
Yilmaz started all games for Turkiye in their quarter-final run at the UEFA Euro 2024 last month. He played every minute of their campaign as they were eliminated by the Netherlands. While he failed to get a goal contribution, the winger impressed with his performances.
Yilmaz has since been linked with many clubs, including some top clubs in Europe. As per Football365, Arsenal are among the clubs interested in signing the winger this summer. Amidst these links, former midfielder Selcuk Inan said (via Liverpool ECHO):
"I think Baris Alper Yılmaz can play very comfortably for many teams in the Premier League at the moment. He’s a very special player.
"We worked a lot together. If Barıs Alper improves himself with his final ball, he can easily play for the best clubs in the world such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal. He’s a player with a lot of potential. Hopefully, he will get that chance and represent them."
Yilmaz, 24, currently plies his trade for Galatasaray, who have put a £21 million transfer price on him. He's scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 109 games for the club so far.
A look at Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid's pre-season so far
While Arsenal and Barcelona ended the 2023-24 season trophyless, Real Madrid won three trophies - La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana. The three sides are now engrossed in pre-season as they hope to make the 2024-25 campaign a successful one. All three clubs traveled to the United States for their pre-season tour.
Arsenal started off with a penalty shootout win over Bournemouth after the scores remained 1-1 after 90 minutes. They then beat Manchester United 2-1 in 90 minutes but lost in the subsequent penalty shootout. They then lost 2-1 against Liverpool to complete their tour. The Gunners also beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 in a friendly at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Barcelona began life under Hansi Flick with a penalty shootout win over Manchester City after a 2-2 draw. They then beat arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-1 before losing on penalties against AC Milan after a 2-2 draw. On the other hand, Los Blancos lost 1-0 against AC Milan and 2-1 against Barca before beating Chelsea 2-1.