Besiktas set to Turk a chance on Cats outcast Jeremain
LENS MOVE WOULD BRING WEARSIDERS CASH BOOST
BESIKTAS president Fikret Orman has confirmed his club want to sign Jeremain Lens from Sunderland.
The Dutch winger is one of the players the Black Cats need to sell this summer, and had an impressive season-long loan with Fenerbahce. He scored five goals and created another 16.
Lens has said he is keen to join the Istanbul club permanently, but Uefa’s financial fair play rules will not make it easy.
Fenerbahce were managed by Dick Advocaat – the coach who managed Lens at PSV Eindhoven and brought him to Sunderland – but he has left for a third spell as head coach of the Netherlands (he has had three more as assistant).
City rivals and league champions Besiktas have long been linked with the player too, and Orman has indicated they would be willing to take him, although not at any price.
“We are interested in Jeremain Lens, we were interested before he even joined Fenerbahce,” he told Turkish-Football. “Lens is an excellent player. “We will see, at the same time it is not a transfer we are desperate for.”
There is great rivalry between the two clubs but even though Lens has been so outspoken in his desire to join Fenerbahce – saying mid-season he hoped the Black Cats would be relegated to make a move easier – he is not ruling out joining Besiktas.
“My friends there are saying that it is a nice atmosphere,” he is quoted as saying in Posta. “If an agreement can be reached with the club, I would like to play in Besiktas.”
Sunderland will not be concerned where Lens goes so long as they can recoup as much as possible of the £9m they spent on the player two years ago.
They will need to revamp their squad for the Championship, with eight players out of contract, three at the end of loans and Jermain Defoe able to leave on a free transfer thanks to an escape clause in his contract.
Fabio Borini is also understood to be free to leave provided someone is prepared to meet his £6m price. Celtic are said to be inclined to do that.
With debts of £110.4m and the huge loss of revenue that comes with relegation, the next manager is unlikely to have much if any money to work with.
That is thought to be the reason David Moyes resigned this month after talks with owner Ellis Short and chief executive Martin Bain.
It is therefore essential the club raises as much money through sales as possible, and they must hope the talk of Besiktas interest strengthens Fenerbahce’s resolve to complete a deal for the 29-year-old.