Manchester United join Chelsea in pursuit of Galatasaray midfielder

Manchester United’s midfield has been transformed this summer, with Carlos Baleba’s £70million arrival from Brighton joining Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos in a rebuild worth well over £150million combined.

That spending still hasn’t translated into results on the pitch, with United sitting 12th in the Premier League.

United’s recruitment staff continue working years ahead regardless, with the club’s scouting network stretching across Europe in search of the next generation of creative talent.

One name has remained firmly on that radar despite United’s inability to actually sign him when they first tried.

Manchester United and Chelsea are set to send scouts to watch Galatasaray’s Champions League match against Barcelona.

Manchester United join Chelsea in pursuit of Galatasaray midfielder

According to Takvim newspaper, as relayed by A Spor, that player is Galatasaray midfielder Aleksey Batrakov.

Due to UK sanctions stemming from the war in Ukraine, English clubs have been unable to pay transfer fees directly to Russian entities, leaving United and Chelsea unable to sign the 21-year-old from Lokomotiv Moscow despite extensive scouting.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were also credited with interest at various points, with PSG at one stage appearing closest to a deal before Galatasaray ultimately won the race, agreeing a fee in the region of €25million this summer.

Aleksey Batrakov joined Lokomotiv’s academy at just six years old after being spotted at a local trial, and rose through the club’s youth ranks before making his senior debut in March 2024.

His breakthrough was rapid from there, scoring 14 goals in the 2024/25 Russian Premier League season to finish as the division’s third-highest scorer, before improving to 17 goals in 36 appearances the following season.

He has made five appearances for Galatasaray so far, including a hat-trick for Lokomotiv against Spartak Moscow before his move, and has already contributed an assist in Turkey.

Batrakov has also become a regular for Russia’s national team, standing out for his composure and end product in attacking midfield.

Despite missing out on him once already, Takvim reports that United’s interest has not cooled, with scouts set to watch him closely during Galatasaray’s upcoming Champions League tie against Barcelona.