You have to wonder why an ambitious footballer at the peak of their game would move to Galatasaray. There’s no doubt that Roberto Mancini is in charge of a fairly strong team, but given that they play in the relatively uncompetitive Turkish league, there’s very little that top players will find appealing about joining the Sari Kirmizilailar.
This brings me to Wesley Sneijder who left Inter Milan last summer to join Galatasaray. Before the switch he also played for Ajax and Real Madrid, whilst collecting 97 caps for the Netherlands. He’s won the Eredivisie title, the La Liga title and the Serie A title. He even won the Champions League with Inter Milan back in 2009-10.
So why, at 29-years-old, did he move to Galatasaray? Was he in search of one last big paycheque? Despite being a relative success in Turkey (he’s scored 13 goals in 35 appearances and has impressed with his dynamic link-up play), he’s been the subject of a great deal of speculation for the last six months.
In fact, Galatasaray’s ‘Sportive Coordinator’, Bulent Tulun recently commented on the player’s situation. Check out these quotes: “Sneijder received an indirect offer from Manchester United last summer but it was not accepted.”
Intriguing stuff, eh?
Galatasaray’s president, Unal Aysal also had something to say about the player and the speculation regarding his future and Chelsea’s interest:
“If Chelsea were to offer a deal worth over €15 million (£12.5m) I would give Sneijder permission to leave if that’s what he wanted.”
So here’s where we are. We know that Manchester United have been interested in the player in the recent past. We also know that Galatasaray are willing to sell if They’re offered at least £12.5m.
Sneijder’s no spring chicken, but he is a talented midfielder with bags full of pedigree and experience at every level. Even if his career as stalled in Turkey, he’s still the real deal and he deserves another shot at a top club. Here’s hoping that Manchester United give him this.
Isn’t the thought of him playing alongside Juan Mata somewhat mouth-watering?
What’s your take? Would Wesley Sneijder be a good fit for Manchester United? Is he past his prime?
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