Ozan Tufan (L) of Fenerbahce in action against Kamal ?ssah (R) of Genclerbirligi during Turkcell Super Lig soccer match between Genclerbirligi and Fenerbahce at 19 May?s Stadium in Ankara, Turkey on August 27, 2017. (Getty Images)
As per Turkish Football (h/t Leicestershire Live), Crystal Palace have been credited with an interest in signing Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan once the summer transfer window commences. The report adds that Leicester City are also interested in securing his services.
Tufan has come a long since joining Turkish outfit Bursaspor as a 10-year-old. He spent 8 years there and even earned a first-team debut. Following 42 promising Super Lig appearances for the club, the player received a call-up to the national side. The very next summer, Tufan departed his boyhood club to join Fenerbahce. And since then, he hasn’t looked back.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Tufan would be available for a fee of around €20million in the summer. And given Crystal Palace’s woes, signing the 24-year-old would be a great decision.
Currently placed 13th in the league standings, the Eagles have endured a mixed term so far. With 24 goals scored and 32 conceded in 27 top-flight outings, Palace need reinforcements to bolster both ends of the pitch.
However, considering the club’s ageing midfield unit, signing Tufan does sound like a promising move. The likes of James McCarthy, Luka Milivojevic, Cheikhou Kouyate and James McArthur are all around the age of 30 and their performances have been decent enough but nothing to write home about.
For example, as per WhoScored, Tufan has chipped in with 2 goals and 4 assists in 22 Super Lig appearances so far. With an average of 2 shots per game and a pass success rate of 82.6%, he has averaged 2 tackles, one clearance and 1.1 interceptions per match.
Milivojevic, on the other hand, has averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game. With 2 goals and an assist to his name, the Palace man has also contributed with 1.1 shots per game at a passing accuracy of 81.6%.
While Milivojevic, 28, overshadows Tufan just by a smidge in certain areas, it must be noted that these numbers are promising enough for a young midfielder. After all, Milivojevic is one of Palace’s best at the moment. Thus, Crystal Palace signing Tufan in the summer would be a brilliant move.
