Arsenal Transfer News: Do the stats reinforce Gunners interest in Baris Yilmaz?

Whenever there’s links coming from Turkey, normally people are quite dubious.  

To everyone's surprise, the reports this week suggesting that Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell had packed his bags to make a late-hour flight to Istanbul to watch Baris Yilmaz in action turned out to be false.  

Another story stated that his agent was in London for conversations with both Arsenal and Tottenham. Though this report was slightly more believable, it’s clear both were a method to generate further interest in the winger and keep his name in the public domain. 

But with Yilmaz, he's got enough talent to do that alone through his performances. He was crucial for Galatasaray last season, contributing six goals and six assists. This summer, he's been linked with potential moves to the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the Premier League, with Arsenal among the most prominent mooted destination. 

Obviously the club is blessed with Bukayo Saka, the England international who played in 47 matches last season. But a player who can deputise the Gunners star could be a decent buy.  

Baris Yilmaz - how much is he worth now?  

According to FootballTransfer's Player Valuation Model, Yilmaz has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €20.3m, while we have him as being the third most valuable Turkish player in the world and the second most valuable player currently in the Turkish Super Lig.  

It’s thought that Galatasaray are wanting a little bit more for Yilmaz than his ETV - €30m. Any offers below that would be instantly rejected.  

What does Baris Yilmaz bring to the table?  

Yilmaz wasn’t dropped into the academy of a big Turkish club at an early age. He started slow and had to earn this way there. He started at Ankara Demirspor but swapped them for Ankara Keciörengücü, before joining Galatasaray ahead of the 2021/22 season.  

It’s been three great years in Istanbul, but at 24; he may be looking for greener pastures. But does his quality warrant a move to a club chasing the Premier League title like Arsenal?  

There are certainly aspects of Yilmaz’s game that would fit Mikel Arteta’s side. He could act as a great supplement, but by no means a player who would ever challenge Saka for a spot on the right-wing.  

He does offer more height than the Hale End graduate, standing at 186cm. This combined with the fact he makes an extraordinary amount of touches in the box - 5.7 per 90 minutes - would be an asset when Arsenal look to float balls into the box, even if that is a far cry from Arteta’s typical blueprint. 

Elsewhere, the Galatasaray winger is hugely versatile. In 108 appearances for the Turkish giants, he has played in seven different positions, including both full-back roles.  

But the Gunners wouldn’t be bringing in some of sort James Milner regen. Yilmaz possesses a touch more flair, even if lacking in the former Liverpool man’s athleticism. 

Yilmaz thrives in systems with that allows freedom for wingers. He is a formidable threat driving with the ball, using his close control to navigate tight spaces and penetrate the opposition box. According to WhoScored data, he attempted a lofty 3.4 dribbles per 90 minutes last season, completing 1.8 of those. 

Indeed, Yilmaz works more in a tactical setup with a heavy emphasis on direct football, something not really found at the Emirates. 

His substantial height for a winger as well as his ability to regain possession in the final third at an high volume actually makes Yilmaz much more of a player in Eddie Howe’s mould - maybe Mitchell’s aforementioned trip to Instanbul was true after all - but there are still some moving parts that would offer Arsenal a degree of depth. 

But his goal-scoring record is underwhelming - Yilmaz played five full matches at Euro 2024 without scoring and has only two goals in 20 international appearances. Additionally, he has no goals from 19 Champions League and Europa League appearances with Galatasaray. 

If Arsenal are looking to land Yilmaz, there’s high chance it will be Arteta pushing for such a move.

This article was provided by FootballTransfers