Aston Villa fail with concrete bid for Tottenham forward target after offering just half of price tag
Aston Villa failed with a summer bid for a Tottenham target
Aston Villa came forward to try and sign Tottenham Hotspur target Semih Kilicsoy during the recent summer transfer window but failed to complete the deal as they did not get close to Besiktas’ asking price, it has been claimed.
Kilicsoy is a 19-year-old forward who mainly plays on the left flank but has also been used as a central striker or right winger if needed. He was born in Istanbul and spent time in the Besiktas academy before making his senior debut for the club in February 2023.
Last season was a breakout campaign for Kilicsoy, as he notched 11 goals and three assists in 23 Super Lig games to make a name for himself as one of the best young players in Turkey.
Not only did that form see Kilicsoy break into the Turkey national team, but he also emerged as a transfer target for some major clubs over the summer.
Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund are just some of the teams who were linked with the teenager.
At one stage, it was claimed that Tottenham were in the driving seat to land Kilicsoy, but he never actually ended up arriving in the Premier League.
It has now emerged that Villa tried to win the race for the rising star, though their €15million (£12.7m / US$16.6m) proposal was not enough to get Besiktas to sell.
In an interview with Turkish source Aslinda, Besiktas’ ex-general manager Sinan Engin revealed Villa’s approach.
Aston Villa news: Semih Kilicsoy bid rejected
“Do you know that Aston Villa offered €15m for Semih Kilicsoy and Besiktas did not accept it,” he said (via Sport Witness).
While Villa were willing to pay €15m, Besiktas actually want more than €30m (£25.4m / US$33.2m) before letting the attacker leave. The Super Lig giants are in a strong position as Kilicsoy’s contract with them runs until June 2028, while they are also fully aware that he has the potential to become a top-class winger.
It might not be a bad thing that Kilicsoy missed out on a switch to England this summer. After all, Unai Emery already has a brilliant forward line which includes versatile stars such as Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers and Jaden Philogene.
Moving to Villa Park ahead of the 2024-25 campaign may have seen Kilicsoy spend large amounts of time on the bench, which would have affected his development.
Instead, Kilicsoy can continue playing week in, week out and push to become even deadlier in the final third. Should Kilicsoy enjoy another fantastic season with Besiktas, then his potential suitors will likely return for him next summer.
Plus, with an extra year of senior football under his belt, the youngster will be better equipped to properly fight for a first-team spot.
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