West Brom player emerges as summer transfer target for former club

Trabzonspor remain keen on re-signing West Bromwich Albion midfielder Okay Yokuslu this summer, according to the Express and Star.

The Turkish giants have a long-standing interest. According to a report from earlier this year from Turkish outlet Sports Digitale, Trabzonspor are just one Süper Lig side who will make an attempt to secure his services in the summer transfer window.

Within the last year, Yokuslu has been linked with a move back to his native country Turkey countless times, with giants Galatasaray also said to be keen on swooping in for the 30-year-old last summer.

Yokuslu has been vitally important to Albion’s impressive defensive record over the last 18 months under Carlos Corberan. Initially, he joined West Brom on loan from Celta Vigo in the 2021 January transfer window, and went on to make 16 appearances for the Baggies.

However, despite some impressive individual performances, the midfielder was unable to prevent the Midlands outfit suffering relegation from the Premier League to the Championship. Yokuslu then returned to West Brom in the summer of 2022, signing on a permanent deal following the expiration of his contract with Celta.

In total, the 30-year-old has made 105 appearances in all competitions for the Baggies, scoring five goals and providing two assist in that time. His main role is as the deepest midfielder in the double-pivot, offering defensive stability with his excellent reading of the game, whilst also shielding the backline with his deep positioning.

Okay Yokuslu linked with Trabzonspor return

The midfielder’s current contract with West Brom is set to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season, meaning he has just 12 months of his contract remaining at The Hawthorns in the summer, which could make the summer transfer window the Baggies’ last chance to cash in on him.

The Express and Star have confirmed that Albion defender Cedric Kipre is a target of Trabzonspor, but they also claim that the Turkish giants retain “an interest in taking Baggies midfielder Okay Yokuslu back to his homeland” as well.

Yokuslu is currently away at the European Championships with Turkey, but previously played for Trabzonspor from 2015 to 2018, making 106 appearances during those three seasons.

He is not the only Championship midfielder being linked with a return to Turkish football, as Ozan Tufan looks set to leave Hull City for Trabzonspor this summer, after the latest update from Turkish reporter Ertan Süzgün.

Okay Yokuslu departure would be a significant loss for West Brom

After being virtually ever-present and vital to Corberan this season, it would be a massive loss. Sadly, for a number of Championship sides, promotion is the only way of retaining key players, and the situation with West Brom and players like Yokuslu is no different.

Given his contract situation, there is every chance he departs this summer, especially if a team from his homeland is offering a chance to return, and to one of the Süper Lig’s best sides as well.

Yoksulu has been immense for the Baggies, and, despite his age, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise for plenty of clubs to be keen around Europe, with his disruptive capabilities, as well as his ability to build the ball from deep, having huge upside for plenty of sides.

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