Leicester City and Tottenham among clubs interested in Vedat Muriqi
By Durim Halimi
Multiple Premier League clubs have sent their scouts to Istanbul for the purpose of monitoring Fenerbahce’s in-form striker Vedat Muriqi.
The Turkish Super Lig is known for opening its doors to notable players who are on the verge of hanging up their boots after successful careers in Europe’s top five leagues, but the Turkish Super Lig is also composed of some young, promising talent. At the moment, several clubs across Europe, which includes three Premier League clubs, have their eyes set on Fenerbahce’s standout striker Vedat Muriqi.
According to a recent report from Sport Witness, Leicester City have sent scouts to Istanbul to observe the 25-year-old striker from the stands of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. In addition to Leicester City, who just now joined the race for Muriqi, the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United have also been linked with making a move for the Kosovo international as far back as September. The asking price for Muriqi is said to be around £18m.
Statistical overview
Muriqi has spent the last six seasons of his career in Turkey, but the striker only started making a name for himself after signing for Caykur Rizespor in 2017. In one-and-a-half seasons with Caykur Rizespor, Muriqi managed to score 25 goals in 50 league appearances. This impressive form sparked a three-way battle between Turkey’s top teams Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas, but Muriqi took his skills to the most successful club in the country, Fenerbahce.
This is his first season with the club and he is now attracting the attention of scouts in the Premier League as a result of scoring 10 goals in 15 games. At the moment, Muriqi is off to the best start of any striker at the club in the last 12 years. To put things into perspective, it took Robin van Persie 24 games to reach Muriqi’s current tally of 10 goals when he played for Fenerbahce.
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In addition to his stellar form at the club level, Muriqi is expected to win Kosovo’s Footballer of the Year award this month. Muriqi has solidified his reputation as Kosovo’s best striker after scoring seven goals in his last 16 appearances for the small Balkan nation. His most recent goals at the national level were against Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, England and Montenegro.
Good fit for the Premier League?
Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Muriqi is an intimidating striker who makes his presence felt inside the penalty area. The Kosovo international primarily operates as a target-man who is dependent on receiving balls in the box, but he boasts quick pace and is able to get in good positions to create meaningful chances.
The Premier League is a major step up from the Turkish Super Lig, but Muriqi has the skills a striker needs to succeed in England. His strength and ability to hold the ball up while more support arrives are some of his top attributes, but his clinical finishing is what made him a star in Turkey. At the age of 25, Muriqi is now entering his prime and it would be interesting to see him play in England. The key question to ask, though, is whether Leicester City, Tottenham and Manchester United will turn their interest into formal bids.