Former Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım has stepped up his pursuit of Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey and has already travelled to London personally to hold talks with the Fulham centre-back’s representatives, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Yıldırım made the Fulham centre-back his top defensive priority as he bids to reclaim the club’s presidency ahead of elections on June 6 and 7.
The 73-year-old, who led Fenerbahçe for two decades from 1998 to 2018, has made signing high-profile Premier League talent the centrepiece of his campaign. His stated ambition is to restore domestic dominance to Fenerbahçe, a club that has spent the better part of the past decade watching city rivals Galatasaray — powered in no small part by Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen — reign over Turkish football.
According to Turkish outlet A Sports, Fenerbahçe have already met with the representatives of Bassey and Manchester City defender Nathan Ake in London, underlining the seriousness of their intent.
Afrik-Foot reports that Bassey leads a shortlist that also features West Ham United’s Malick Diouf and Manchester City winger Savinho, though the Nigeria international is firmly the club’s top defensive target. Osimhen himself has previously cited Bassey among the best defenders on the continent.
Bassey, who came through Leicester City’s academy before making his name at Rangers, joined Fulham from Ajax for over €20m in 2023 and has since made more than 100 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring four goals.
His contract at Craven Cottage runs until June 2027, with the club holding an option to extend for a further year — leverage that means Fenerbahçe will need to table a compelling offer to move things forward.
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