Burnley is reportedly showing an interest in Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakır of Trabzonspor as they prepare for a return to the Premier League, according to Turkish Football.
The 29-year-old has amassed 31 caps for Turkey so far.
Who Is Ugurcan Çakır?
Çakır has been at Trabzonspor for the entirety of his professional career and is believed to be under contract for another two seasons.
The keeper has played 288 times for his club and kept 89 clean sheets, including 13 this season.
He was a key member of the Trabzonspor side that claimed the Turkish title in 2022, keeping 11 clean sheets and only allowing 33 goals to go past him.
In May 2019 he made his international debut in a Nations League contest against Greece and has represented his country on 31 occasions, with his last outing coming in March this year.
Interest Thought To Be High
Burnley is not the only side looking to sign Çakır as the article claims AS Monaco is also keeping an eye on the stopper and PSV Eindhoven have been credited with an interest as well as some of the top Turkish sides.
Monaco coach Adolf Hutter has not yet settled on a number one with Radoslaw Majecki and Phillip Kohn sharing the duties this season, hence the interest in the Turk.
Burnley have, according to the report, been working on a deal for the keeper for quite some time as they prepare for life after promotion.
Last season, James Trafford kept a staggering 29 clean sheets and conceded just 16 goals but the Clarets are still keen to bring in further reinforcements. However, Trafford has been linked repeatedly with a move away from Turf Moor.
It is said that Trabzonspor are reluctant to sell one of their prized assets to a Turkish rival so a move to England or France is more likely, with Burnley’s early action potentially giving them the edge.
Çakır has two years left on his current deal and is valued at around €8 million by Transfermarkt.
Writer’s View
Should the transfer of Çakır to Burnley happen it is likely to be as a replacement for James Trafford, who has been linked with Newcastle United among others.
It’s hard to imagine the Clarets spending big money on a goalkeeper to simply warm the bench. Çakır, however, does have a good pedigree and is an experienced international so perhaps a perfect replacement for Trafford.
