Galatasaray are not prepared to sanction Yunus Akgun’s move to Leicester City until their Champions League play-off against Molde has finished.
Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a brilliant start to life in charge of the Foxes, with the side boasting a 100% record in the Championship, and they’ve progressed into the second round of the League Cup.
Despite that, the Italian is adamant that new faces need to arrive ahead of the deadline, and it was revealed on Tuesday that Akgun had emerged as a prime target, with reports stating that he could join on an initial loan with a view to making it a permanent switch.
Who is Yunus Akgun?
Given his pedigree, this deal would be a real coup for the Midlands outfit, as Akgun has won five caps for Turkey, and has played over 70 games in the Turkish top-flight over the years, for boyhood club Galatasaray and out on loan with Adana Demirspor.
Capable of playing down either flank, Akgun would provide another attacking threat for Maresca, and beef up an area of the squad that does need addressing.
At 23, the Foxes will no doubt see the player as someone who has plenty of room for improvement as well, so he could become an important figure at the King Power Stadium in the long-term.
Will Yunus Akgun join Leicester City?
As mentioned, reports from Turkey had suggested that this was a deal at a very advanced stage, with everything seemingly in place.
It had been thought that he would join on an initial loan for this season, which would then become permanent for a figure of around €10m next summer. Not only that, but the reports had stated that Akgun had agreed a contract that would keep him at Leicester until the summer of 2028.
What is the latest on Yunus Akgun to Leicester?
However, in a fresh development, Turkish-Football has shared that the move is not going to happen in the coming days, even if there’s nothing to suggest the move won’t happen.
Instead, they have shared that Galatasaray intend to keep Akgun at the club for their Champions League qualifier against Molde, which will land them a place in the group stage if they progress.
An injury to Wilfried Zaha means Akgun, who has featured in three of the four qualifiers so far, will have a role to play. Therefore, they will wait until later in the window before allowing the player to move.
The Istanbul giants play the first leg in Norway tonight, before the return leg in Turkey is played on Tuesday 29 August.
That would still give Leicester a few days to finalise the move, as the deadline isn’t until 11pm on Friday 1 September.
What next for Leicester City?
Maresca will only be focused on the weekend game against Rotherham right now, as Leicester look to continue their fine start.
But, he does want new signings through the door, and Akgun will be a big one if it is sorted next week.
As well as incomings, there are many players on the fringes at the King Power Stadium who will look to move on, so it could be a busy final week or so for the club as they look to ensure the boss is working with a balanced squad.
