Galatasaray is happy with the progress Alex Cicaldau and Olimpiu Morutan made since their summer moves to Istanbul and have spotted another target on the Romanian market.
According to the player’s agent, Dennis Man from Parma entered Galatasaray’s list of priority signings.
Man, 23, only signed for Parma less than a year ago, when the club was still playing in the Italian top division. After Parma was relegated to Serie B, Rennes and a team from the Gulf were interested in him. Neither could finally reach a deal with Parma to have him.
The Romanian player only started five of Parma’s first 10 league games this season, scoring two goals. Man beat Covid in October and has returned to normal training for more than three weeks now, but manager Enzo Maresca seems to have forgotten him on the bench. The forward was an unused sub in Parma’s last two games in Serie B, with Maresca openly unhappy with his player’s lack of commitment.
Galatasaray emerged as a last-minute destination for Man in January, but talks between clubs won’t be easy. Ioan Becali, the agent who worked both Cicaldau and Morutan’s moves to Istanbul a few months ago, confirmed Galatasaray are after Man.
“If Parma needed money, if they didn’t have such a rich owner, maybe Man would already be in Istanbul,” Ioan Becali told Romanian outlet Fanatik.
“He is a great option for Galatasaray, he could play on the right and Morutan behind the striker. It would be extraordinary for Fatih Terim. Man is an option for Galatasaray right now. In the winter transfer window, Parma will know where they stand and what are their chances to get promoted,” Becali explained.
Man, a historical transfer for the Romanian league
When they sold Man to Parma, FCSB, his former club, got almost $13 million in return. It’s a record transfer fee for the Romanian league. In January 2020, Man was the highest marksman in Liga 1, with 14 goals scored in 18 games.
“Fatih Terim told me he wants Man at Galatasaray. He is not interested where Parma is in the standings, he wants the player, he wants Man. He asked me to bring Man to Galatasaray,” agent Ioan Becali admitted.
Parma wants $13 million if they are to sell Man. Right now, Galatasaray and the player’s agent are working to see how a deal for Man can happen.
“Fatih Terim likes Man a lot, I am saying this openly,” Becali stressed.
“Galatasaray can’t pay more than $7 or $8 million for Man. Parma wants $13 million, that’s what they paid when they signed him. We are only talking now, what matters is what we do next. It can be a definitive transfer, it can be a loan for a year and a half with an obligation to buy. Or a loan with a fee paid. There are many possibilities. We’ll talk and we’ll see what we can do,” Becali revealed.
“Man’s salary would not be a problem for Galatasaray. The only problem would only be to pay his transfer fee,” the agent assures.
Dennis Man scored 49 goals in 146 outings at FCSB. In Parma’s shirt, he has four goals in 21 games. Over the past few years, he has been played as a right-winger, but he can also operate as a number 10 and even as a striker. In 2020, he won the Romanian player of the year award.
Man was called to the Romanian national team for the decisive World Cup 2022 qualifiers in November against Iceland and Liechtenstein.
