Istanbul: Turkish top flight side Galatasaray said on Wednesday they were in talks to sign French international striker Bafetimbi Gomis from Premier League club Swansea City.
Turkish press reports said Gomis, 31, was due to arrive in Istanbul later on Wednesday and would sign for the club after a medical.
“Galatasaray has begun transfer talks with the footballer and the club,” the Turkish side said in a statement.
After a five-year stint at Lyon, Gomis signed for Swansea in 2014. He did not make the hoped-for impact and spent the 2016-2017 season on loan to Marseille.
Turkish sports website NTVSpor said Swansea would receive a transfer fee of 2.5 million euros (Dh10.4 million) while the player would have an annual wage of 3.5 million euros as well as bonuses.
Gala said Gomis would be flying into Istanbul later on Wednesday.
“Today I am turning the page and I have decided to leave for a new experience, [but] I leave with a heavy heart,” Gomis wrote in an apparent farewell to Marseille fans on his Instagram page.
Galatasaray are expected to go on a summer spending spree after finishing fourth in the Super Lig last season, well behind champions and Istanbul rivals Besiktas.
The result was unacceptable for fans of Galatasaray, Turkish champions on more occasions than any other club.
The future of Dutch striker Wesley Sneijder — who has been the fulcrum of the club’s attack since joining in 2013 — is uncertain while German marksman Lukas Podolski is leaving for Japan’s Vissel Kobe.
Galatasaray also said it was in talks over signing the French-born Moroccan international midfielder Younes Belhanda from Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine.
He had played the last season for French club Nice on loan.
