Galatasaray in talks to sign Valencia
Galatasaray have opened talks with West Ham regarding the possibility of signing striker Enner Valencia this summer, but face competition from Fenerbahce and West Brom for his signature.
According to Metro Ecuador, Valencia is on a five-man shortlist of possible striker signings for Galatasaray this summer, along with Samuel Eto’o and Fulham’s Moussa Dembele.
West Ham have placed a £7.5m price-tag on Valencia’s head this summer in order to force through a move after two less than impressive seasons in East London with the Hammers.
The striker netted four times in 19 appearances last season in a campaign heavily hit by injury, but a return of just 10 goals in 61 appearances in two years is not the return David Gold and David Sullivan were expecting when they paid £12m to sign him from Pachuca in 2014.
His lack of club form doesn’t translate to the international stage. The Hammers signed Valencia after he scored all three of Ecuador’s goals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 26-year-old scored twice in four games at this summer’s Copa America taking his tally for Ecuador to 16 goals in 29 games.
West Brom were said to be scouting Valencia at the Copa America ahead of a summer move, while talk of a move to Swansea is ‘nonsense’. There is strong interest from the Bundesliga in the striker, who can also operate on the wing, but Turkish side Trabzonspor have made their interest known in the West Ham man.