Batrakov vs. Turkey: Why the rumors about a move to Galatasaray are false
Alexey Batrakov, a midfielder for Lokomotiv, indeed doesn’t consider the possibility of moving to the Turkish Super League. He aims to continue his career in Europe, where he plans to compete at a higher level.

The information spread by Turkish journalist Yakup Chinaro about the financial demands of the agents—€7–8 million for the transfer, and €4 million in salary per season—does not correspond to reality. Negotiations regarding the terms of the contract were not carried out for two fundamental reasons. First, intermediaries were eliminated as soon as the player’s refusal to consider Turkey became known. Second, the contract doesn’t legally allow Turkish clubs to have the option of buying the player back. As of July 1st, this option is only available for five countries: England, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The total value of this option is €20 million.

Therefore, the hype surrounding a possible move to Galatasaray remains purely a media creation. Batrakov’s real career path lies in the West. Clubs from Europe’s top five leagues remain the only interested parties who meet both sports and legal requirements for such a deal.