Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly registered their interest in signing Besiktas left-back Ridvan Yilmaz this summer.
The 21-year-old has spent the entirety of his fledgling career with the Turkish giants and caught the eye with his contributions in the 2021-22 Super Lig campaign.
Yilmaz scored three goals and set up four more in 27 league appearances last season - starting 23 of them - and he would also enjoy his first taste of Champions League group-stage football.
Yilmaz's contributions could only help Besiktas to a sixth-placed finish in the Super Lig, though, and his contract at the Vodafone Park now has just 12 months left to run.
Tottenham have previously been linked with a move for the six-cap Turkey international, and according to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Spurs could now be set to step up their interest.
The report alleges that Eintracht Frankfurt had an agreement in place with the player, who would often feature on the left-hand side of a 3-4-3 for Besiktas during the back end of last season.
However, a deal could ultimately not be struck with Besiktas, who wanted a full upfront payment while the Europa League champions instead wanted to pay in instalments.
As a result, Tottenham have been alerted to Yilmaz's availability, and Antonio Conte is said to have sent scouts to watch the left-back in action during the 2021-22 campaign.
Besiktas may therefore be pressured into a cut-price sale in the coming weeks lest they risk losing Yilmaz on a free transfer in 2023, which could see the Turkey international leave after a nine-year spell.
Yilmaz has totalled four goals and seven assists in 62 senior appearances for the Istanbul-based side, winning one Super Lig title, the Turkish Cup and the Turkish Super Cup in the process.
The wing-back areas proved tricky for Conte to fill on a consistent basis during the 2021-22 season, with Ryan Sessegnon spending a good chunk of the term in the treatment room and Sergio Reguilon also dealing with injury in the final few weeks of the season.
Ivan Perisic has arrived from Inter Milan to bolster Conte's options on the left-hand side, and the Spurs boss has also sought to make significant improvements elsewhere.
As well as bringing in Fraser Forster to act as Hugo Lloris's new backup, Tottenham have spent £90m on the double capture of midfielder Yves Bissouma and striker Richarlison, with a move for the latter being confirmed on Friday.
Conte is now expected to focus his efforts on a new centre-back, and the Lilywhites are expected to wrap up a loan deal for Barcelona's Clement Lenglet in the coming days. body check tags ::
