Galatasaray's Can Uzun Operation: Talks with Frankfurt Have Started

The transfer news that exploded on Friday morning in Istanbul originated from Germany. Germany's most reliable publication on football transfers, Sky Sport, announced that Galatasaray has started talks with Frankfurt management for Can Uzun. In Sky Sport's news, it was emphasised that Galatasaray's interest in the player has "now become concrete" and serious work is being carried out to finalise the transfer. At Frankfurt, sporting director Markus Krösche wants a transfer fee in the 50-60 million Euros range for Can Uzun, who has a contract until 2029. No official offer has been conveyed from the Galatasaray side yet; talks are at the initial contact stage.

The picture on the Galatasaray side is optimistic because two critical factors strengthen the hand of the yellow-and-reds. The first is that Can Uzun is a Galatasaray fan. The young player, who was born and raised in Germany but preferred the Turkish National Team, may provide a serious plus at the negotiation table with his love for the yellow-and-red colours. The second is that Galatasaray will be in the Champions League group stage in the new season. After the Süper Lig 2025-26 championship, the yellow-and-reds, who will compete in Europe's biggest club organisation, offer an attractive career path for Can Uzun. Sky Sport's news also emphasised that the World Cup will determine the player's decision date.

The picture on the Frankfurt side is complex. The tactical mismatch between Albert Riera and Can Uzun remained on the agenda throughout the season; Riera criticised the player's contribution to defence and his movement without the ball, and Can Uzun's playing time decreased because of this. The young star, who produced 16 goal contributions (total of goals and assists) in 28 official matches with the Frankfurt jersey in the 2025-26 season, has the statistic of 6 goals and 3 assists in 15 matches in the Bundesliga. The Frankfurt side initially demanded 80 million Euros; the current picture caused Krösche to reduce the figure to 50-60 million Euros. It was mentioned in news sourced from Milliyet that the first offer Galatasaray made was around 30 million Euros; however, Sky Sport added that this figure was considered insufficient.

The race is not limited to Istanbul. According to Sky Sport's transmission, Premier League clubs and Italian teams are also closely following Can Uzun's situation. It was mentioned in the foreign press that AC Milan, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are watching the young player. Still, it was stated that the Can Uzun side carries an emotional closeness to Galatasaray, and the return scenario has been strengthened. The 20-year-old midfielder, who started in the Freier TuS Regensburg academy in Germany and wore the jerseys of Regensburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg and finally Frankfurt, will be in the 2026 World Cup squad under Vincenzo Montella's management alongside Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız. The tournament performance will be on the American continent, not in Turkey — but the transfer decision will also depend on the play he will show at the tournament.

The importance Galatasaray gives to international players like Can Uzun within the scope of the 10+4 foreign player rule that the TFF will implement in the new season is also one of the important factors in the background of the transfer. Can Uzun, in domestic player status, will both provide flexibility in squad calculation and be able to fill the number 10 profile that Okan Buruk wants. Buruk's "must be signed" report to the management was conveyed by Fotospor. President Dursun Özbek entrusted the operation to Italian agent George Gardi. Due to the possibility of Bernardo Silva sliding to Barcelona, Can Uzun has become the strongest plan in the yellow-and-red squad's number 10 project. The contacts that will continue between Frankfurt and Galatasaray in the coming weeks will determine whether the transfer will be concluded by the end of June.

Source: Sky Sport Germany  

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