Barcelona boss Flick endorses controversial Chelsea transfer: 'Great player'

13 Oct 2026 17:32 BST 3 min read

Hansi Flick, Barcelona, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has praised Galatasaray youngster Aleksey Batrakov, who is reportedly being watched by Chelsea and Manchester United.

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The Russia international left Lokomotiv Moscow after a lengthy saga in the summer. Batrakov is one of the most highly rated players his country has produced in recent years, but the tense geopolitical situation made a transfer to Western Europe virtually impossible for the 21-year-old.

Despite links with numerous Premier League clubs and supposed contact with long-term admirers PSG, the playmaker ended up at Galatasaray. Having failed to land Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes, the Istanbul giants made Batrakov their new marquee No.10.

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€30.9M - €37.7M

Galatasaray paid a sizeable €25 million to secure his signature. Reports initially suggested that he was reluctant to move to Galatasaray, but the money on offer, particularly the salary, quickly convinced him to change his stance.

He is slowly coming to grips with life in Turkey. Batrakov has produced two assists in his last three games, and he was a standout performer in a 3-1 win over Kasimpasa on Friday. Today, he will play against a team he dreams of eventually playing for.

Flick praises Batrakov, but transfer could be difficult

Galatasaray take on Barcelona in the Champions League, and Batrakov has never made a secret of his long-term ambition to play for the reigning LaLiga champions.

He certainly has the raw talent to feature for a top European club, but whether that is enough for Barcelona remains to be seen. However, he has received support from the club's head coach, Hansi Flick.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the German praised Batrakov and encouraged him to keep dreaming. "I’ve seen many games, and after the last one, I have to say he’s a great player." He added: "If you’re young and talented, why not dream? We have to try everything."

The 21-year-old is known to be on the radar of top-level clubs. Earlier this month, Turkish outlet Sporx claimed that Chelsea and Man Utd have stepped up their scouting efforts since his move to Galatasaray.

Having been unable to sign him from his previous club Loko due to the sanctions regime, which prohibits the transfer of funds to Russian clubs, the thinking is that it may be easier to acquire him from Galatasaray.

While that may be true, the bureaucratic work required to complete the signing of a Russian national may still prove insurmountable. Batrakov would need to receive a UK work permit and be allowed to live in the country.

When Man Utd hosted Real Sociedad in the Europa League last year, the UK government denied Arsen Zakharyan entry into the country, illustrating how difficult getting the necessary paperwork for a Batrakov transfer could be.

Zakharyan, a former Dynamo Moscow star who moved to Spain in 2023, is one of just two high-profile Russian players to secure a transfer to a top European league after the invasion of Ukraine, the other being Matvey Safonov, who joined PSG from Krasnodar in 2024.

Consequently, a move to France or Spain may be more realistic for Batrakov than a transfer to the Premier League as long as the sanctions against Russia remain in place.