Istanbul Basaksehir manager Emre Belezoglu has confirmed his interest in Aston Villa’s Premier League misfit Trezeguet, speaking to Bursada Bugun.
From Demba Ba to Nacer Chadli, from Gael Clichy to Robinho, plenty of former Premier League favourites have passed through the Fatih Terim Stadium in recent seasons.
Trezeguet, then, will be travelling down a well-worn path if he leaves Birmingham for Istanbul before Monday’s transfer deadline.
The £9 million winger, who’s Egypt side reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over Ivory Coast on Wednesday, is facing an uncertain future at club level.
Trezeguet missed the first four months of the 2021/22 season after undergoing knee surgery.
And the recent arrival of Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona feels like a fatal blow to his hopes of a sudden re-emergence under Steven Gerrard.
Is Trezeguet leaving Aston Villa after AFCON?
Reports earlier this month claimed that long-time admirers Galatasaray were in talks to bring the former Kasimpasa talisman back to Turkey. But it seems the Super Lig giants will face competition from their Istanbul neighbours.
“We are interested in Trezeguet,” admits Emre, the former Newcastle, Inter Milan and Turkey playmaker.
“We are looking for players who will contribute to goals and increase productivity in the final third.”
Back to Turkey?
Trezeguet, real name Mahmoud Hassan, has hardly been a prolific goalscorer during his two-and-a-half years at Aston Villa, even if he has developed a handy knack for popping up with the odd decisive moment on the biggest of occasions.
Trezeguet did find the back of the net on a far more regular basis during his previous spell in Turkey, however. He plundered 25 goals in 71 games for Kasimpasa between 2017 and 2019.
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