Aston Villa Leads Multiple Bids for Galatasaray, Leipzig Targets

Aston Villa have emerged as the frontrunner in the race for Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz, submitting a £17 million offer while intending to increase it to meet Galatasaray's £26-35 million valuation. Sunderland, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Atalanta, and RB Leipzig also show interest in Yilmaz, highlighting strong competition. Additionally, Aston Villa and Sunderland are both pursuing RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda, though Leipzig is unlikely to sell him this summer despite the expiry of his release clause. Villa is also targeting Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara from Galatasaray, with talks poised to begin despite a significant gap between Villa's valuation (€20 million) and Galatasaray's asking price (€40 million). Manchester City, Leeds United, Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Wolves are also interested in Sara, but Villa appears most serious in their pursuit. With transfer activities intensifying ahead of the Premier League season, Aston Villa aims to strengthen their squad significantly under Unai Emery, while Sunderland continues to explore multiple forward options to reinforce their attack.