Galatasaray Eyes Moroccan Midfielder Bilal El Khannous as Potential Mertens Replacement

Galatasaray needs Bilal El Khannous, to replace its playmaker, Dries Mertens (36), whose contract expires next June, and is closely monitoring the Moroccan international. It intends to make him its priority for the next summer transfer window. Galatasaray "has indeed taken a step to sign the Moroccan attacking midfielder from Genk, so that he becomes the player wearing the number 10 shirt in the team," reports the Sky Sports channel, adding that the Turkish club could face competition from several German clubs, including Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Dortmund, who also show interest in the 19-year-old player.

With Genk, El Khannous has delivered outstanding performances over the past season. Since his debut with the first team in 2021-2022, he has scored four goals and provided ten assists in 76 appearances. His contract runs until 2027, and he is estimated to be worth 22 million euros.