Asprilla nears Galatasaray loan switch as Girona's transfer carousel continues
Colombian winger Yaser Asprilla set for Turkish adventure with potential €25m permanent deal if performance targets are met in what could be a shrewd business move for Girona.
The Colombian talent looks set for a Turkish adventure as Girona continue reshaping their squad during a busy January window.
Turkish giants come calling
Girona’s transfer merry-go-round shows no signs of slowing down with Colombian winger Yaser Asprilla now on the verge of joining Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray. The deal taking shape is a proper bit of business for the Catalan outfit - initially a loan with Galatasaray covering his wages, but with a potential €25 million permanent transfer clause if the player meets certain appearance targets.
This potential deal represents quite the result for Girona’s bean counters, who splashed approximately €18 million (plus variables) to bring Asprilla to Montilivi just last summer. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, including winning a penalty in Girona’s recent derby against Espanyol, the Colombian’s development has somewhat plateaued in recent months.
January movements
Girona have been proper busy this window:
- Sent Jhon Solís to Birmingham
- Welcomed Claudio Echeverri from River Plate
- Signed midfielder Fran Beltrán
- Completed the headline-grabbing Marc-André ter Stegen loan from Barcelona
The Asprilla deal wasn’t necessarily on the cards initially. The club had been exploring various options to free up a non-EU registration slot for Echeverri, with Solís’s departure and interest from Mallorca, Olympique Marseille, Ajax, and Benfica in other players seemingly solving that puzzle.
However, Galatasaray’s persistence and attractive offer, combined with Asprilla’s desire for consistent playing time ahead of Colombia’s World Cup campaign, has accelerated talks between all parties.
Goalkeeper situation
Beyond the Asprilla negotiations, Girona are also prioritizing Dominik Livakovic’s departure in the coming hours. This would leave Michel with a goalkeeping trio of Gazzaniga, ter Stegen and Krapyvtsov for the remainder of the season.
For Asprilla, the Turkish Super Lig could provide the perfect stage to showcase his talents and secure that coveted World Cup spot with Colombia. Meanwhile, Girona continue their savvy approach to the transfer market as they balance European ambitions with financial sustainability.