Who is Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu? The Turkish winger wanted by Arsenal and Tottenham

14 Apr 2022 11:03 BST
5 min read

Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu, Galatasaray — © ProShots

Turkish winger Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu is set to be in the middle of a transfer battle between North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham this summer.

Both Arsenal and Spurs will be looking for attacking reinforcements in the summer transfer window, and have identified the 23-year-old as a potential target, having become impressed with his performances for Galatasaray.

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He is developing quite the reputation for himself, but what kind of player is Akturkoglu?

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What position does Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu play in?

Akturkoglu plays as a winger on the left-hand side. He can play on the left of a 4-2-3-1 or the left of a 4-3-3.

How good is Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu?

Akturkoglu is a product of Basaksehir's youth academy. He spent periods with Bodrumspor, Karacabey and 24 Erzincanspor before joining Galatasaray in 2020.

He made his professional debut for the club in November of 2020 in a league fixture against Kayserispor.

Akturkoglu is deployed on the left wing, but he has a unique ability to be able to go beyond players using both his left and right foot. He can barge down the wing to whip a cross in, or cut inside to get a shot away.

He may be 5ft 8in, but he has a low centre of gravity and is absolutely rapid when he gets going on a dribble.

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Though this is perhaps an unfair comparison, when he dribbles at speed it evoked memories of a young Lionel Messi.

In the 2021/22 campaign, he has scored 11 goals and recorded seven assists in all competitions.

What clubs are interested in Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu?

According to Turkish outlet Aksam, there are numerous clubs interested in signing Akturkoglu.

Arsenal and Tottenham are the two latest clubs to have recorded an interest.

But prior to that, Lyon Atletico Madrid and Wolfsburg were mentioned as potential destinations.

In the January transfer window, Wolfsburg bid around €14 million for the winger, but Galatasaray rejected it, and will hold out for €20m in the summer.