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‘Very hard to get’: Club want to sign Leicester man; £7m fee makes deal difficult

Photo by Sam Bagnall - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Sam Bagnall - AMA/Getty Images
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Rachid Ghezzal of Leicester City during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Leicester City and Fleetwood Town at The King Power Stadium on August 28, 2018 in Leicester, England. (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Besiktas will struggle to sign Rachid Ghezzal on a permanent basis from Leicester City due to his £7 million price-tag, as reported by Milliyet.

When the Foxes finally agreed to let Riyad Mahrez seal his dream move to Manchester City in the summer of 2018, they obviously felt that the best way to replace an Algerian winger famed for cutting in from the left was to, well, sign another Algerian winger famed for cutting in from the left.

Yet it is fair to say Ghezzal, a £10 million signing from Monaco, did not come close to emulating his compatriot at the King Power Stadium.

In three years, Ghezzal has started just eight Premier League games, scoring once, while spending much of his time as a Leicester player out on loan.

The 28-year-old is currently rebuilding his reputation in Turkey after a disappointing spell at Fiorentina. But, as it stands, the chances of Ghezzal securing a permanent move to Istanbul look slim.

Photo by Mustafa Murat Kaynak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

“Rachid Ghezzal is very hard to get,” said Yilmiz Chanpolat, an advisor to Besiktas president Ahmet Nur Cebi.

“Because they want a fee of 7- 8 million euros (around £7 million).”

Ghezzal has actually been a big hit at Besiktas, producing ten assists in 17 league games for a side sitting behind leaders Galatasaray on goal difference alone.

Rachid Ghezzal of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Leicester City and Fleetwood Town at The King Power… (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)