Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs keeping an eye on Turkey’s latest whizkid Burak Ince.
According to a report from Goal, Burak Ince has become a hot prospect in the European market following his breakthrough at Altinordu. The young playmaker is courted by Manchester City and Liverpool, whereas Bayer Leverkusen, Sevilla and Bayern Munich are also involved in the chase.
A native from Manisa, roughly an hour drive from the coastal hub of Izmir, Ince started his youth footballing career at hometown club Manisaspor. He then eventually moved to Altinordu in 2015, at the age of around 11. The 17-year-old has come a long way since, becoming a crown jewel for the club’s famous youth academy that has produced players like Cengiz Under and Caglar Soyuncu.
In 2019, Ince became the youngest player and goalscorer in the Turkish second division, at the age of just 15. The Turkish playmaker has already notched up 54 competitive appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.
A central midfielder by trade, Ince has impressed the onlookers with his excellent quality in possession. He can effortlessly navigate through the opposition press while drifting out wide if necessary. The youngster has a hunger to improve as well and is currently working on his physicality.
However, the 17-year-old whizkid’s future at Altinordu appears to be in doubt, as footballing giants across Europe hope to snap him away. Barcelona are said to be among the clubs monitoring Ince. A move, though, is unlikely, with the Catalans having recently signed Yusuf Demir on loan.
It leaves Premier League duo Liverpool and Manchester City as potential destinations for the young Turkish Under-21 sensation. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, in particular, has appeared determined to bolster his creative options this summer, following Georginio Wijnaldum’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds have been linked with a host of players as well, including Renato Sanches. However, Liverpool’s recent failures to integrate too many academy players into the starting eleven might force someone like Ince to reconsider.
Manchester City are the other option, with the Sky Blues having overseen the development of Phil Foden and Eric Garcia recently. Ince himself has been compared to Manchester City legend David Silva in the past, so the youngster might turn out to be an interesting option for Pep Guardiola.
But it won’t be surprising to see Burak Ince remaining at Altinordu for at least another season in order to further improve his game. The 17-year-old may even want to move to a more youth-friendly league like Bundesliga instead of joining Liverpool or Manchester City, with both Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich interested in his services.
