Fenerbahce's Striker Plan: Vangelis Pavlidis

Fenerbahce are targeting one of the summer's most eye-catching attacking signings. According to DHA, the Turkish club is closely tracking 27-year-old Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica and are ready to make a formal offer to the Portuguese side once the right conditions materialise. The report notes that Pavlidis himself is open to the idea of moving to Turkey and the Super Lig, a factor seen as a significant advantage for Fenerbahce.

After an outstanding campaign for Benfica last season — 30 goals and six assists in 53 appearances across all competitions — Pavlidis is being valued at around €40 million by Benfica, a figure standing as the biggest obstacle to Fenerbahce completing the deal. That form has drawn attention beyond Fenerbahce as well, with clubs including Aston Villa, Tottenham, AC Milan, Roma, Newcastle, Manchester United, West Ham and Nottingham Forest all reportedly linked with the striker.

Adding to the competition, Spanish outlet AS reports that Barcelona have moved Pavlidis up their list of alternative strikers after their pursuit of Julian Alvarez stalled, with names like Eli Junior Kroupi, Joao Pedro and Dusan Vlahovic also featuring on the Catalan club's list. Fenerbahce are said to need to move quickly to complete the transfer before Barcelona can act.

Source: DHA
Image: Ajansspor