Liverpool or West Ham move is still on as £25m target gets 'lucky' and avoids ACL injury

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With a title on the line, and a potential Premier League switch on the cards, the West Ham, Liverpool and Aston Villa target looked to have picked up a serious injury at the worst possible time.

TBR understands that in addition to West Ham, Liverpool and Aston Villa, Tottenham, Newcastle and Everton scouted Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz as the Super Lig champions edged out Sivasspor in a thrilling five-goal encounter last weekend.

So, with representatives of at least five Premier League clubs present in the stands, the Turkey international picked a pretty good time to showcase the speed, skill and ruthlessness that has made him one of the most feared attackers in the country.

Racing onto the ball on the left-hand side of the Sivasspor penalty area, Baris Alper Yilmaz checked back onto his right foot, ignored the waiting Victor Osimhen, and somehow set about curling his finish between the home goalkeeper and two defenders situated on the goalline.

The Galatasaray frontman has been likened to Gareth Bale, Phil Foden and even Kylian Mbappe. And this was the sort of goal, both in construction and execution, that each of the superstar trio would have been proud to call their own.

Yilmaz’s afternoon would end, however, on a much sourer note.

Injury boost for West Ham and Liverpool target Baris Alper Yilmaz

Yilmaz had to leave the field in stoppage time – leaving Galatasaray briefly down to nine men – following a clumsy challenge from Rey Manaj which left his knee buckling and had the medical staff calling for a stretcher.

Was this his season over? Was this the end of his hopes of a big-money, potential £25 million switch to English football in the New Year?

Yener Ince, Galatasaray’s club doctor, certainly feared the worst.

“You all saw [what happened to] Baris Alper,” Ince says, via Sporx. “We were afraid of a total tear in the anterior cruciate ligament of his knee.”

ACL injuries usually keep players out of action for around nine months. And that is without mentioning the addition time it takes to get back up to 100 per cent match sharpness.

As such, had that been the problem Yilmaz suffered during that collision with Manaj, he would likely have had to wait until the start of next season to get back on the pitch. And perhaps until 2026 to get back to his best.

A move to the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham or Aston Villa, meanwhile, would surely have been placed on the backburner with his many suitors watching with baited breath to see how he returns.

There would also have been serious concerns about whether a place so renowned for his explosive acceleration could rediscover the form of his breakout 2023/24 season, in which he provided 19 goals or assists before shining for Turkey at the European Championships.

Galatasaray ace gets ‘lucky’ as he avoids ACL blow

Fortunately, both for Yilmaz and his English-based admirers, any concerns of a nine-month lay-off appear to have been dispelled. Ince is not yet ready to put a timescale on his rehabilitation, but it certainly will not be quite that long.

“[Yilmaz’s injury] wasn’t as bad as we feared,” the doctor adds. “We’ll see match by match. It’s too early to say anything clear.”

Okan Buruk, the manager who guided Galatasaray to domestic glory last season while accumulating over 100 points along the way, feels that Lady Luck was shining down on his turbo-charged 24-year-old.

“Baris has a strong physique and he was lucky,” a relieved Burak sighs. “He did not suffer a major injury.

“[He will be back] as soon as possible.”