Galatasaray prepare £1.75 million bid for Leicester City star

Galatasaray could table a £1.75 million bid for Leicester City midfielder Shinji Okazaki in January, as reported by Turkish outlet AMK.

The Super Lig giants’ manager Fatih Terim is understood to be looking at the Japan international as a possible no.10, and could make an effort to bring him to Turkey in the next transfer window.

With Okazaki’s contract at Leicester set to expire at the end of the season, there’s no way Claude Puel is going to give him a new one. The Frenchman aims to build his side around young blood – which the players are well aware of – so he’s the least likely to stand in the way, shall Galatasaray come calling.

As well as being able to offload another player who’s drawing closer to his end, it also gives him the opportunity to cash in. There’s no loss here at all.

Having served Leicester as well as anyone ever has, this really seems like the right time for the 32-year old Okazaki to move on. He has done all that he could have, achieved all that he could have, and he can now leave as one of the club’s greatest ever.

For a striker, his 19 goals and seven assists in 119 appearances may not sound like the numbers of an all-time great, but if you watched the 2015/16 season, then you just know that without him, neither Jamie Vardy nor Riyad Mahrez would have been able to do what they did.

He would not be missed on the field anymore, yes, but it is certain that he’d always be remembered. Always.