Manager now regrets not selling £26m defender to Tottenham, he could still join in January

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Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk regrets not allowing Victor Nelsson to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

That’s according to Turkish outlet Haber7, who reported that Spurs failed with a €20 million (£17.4m) bid for Nelsson during the transfer window.

The defender joined Galatasaray in 2021 and has since been a regular for them, making 33 appearances as they won the Super Lig title for the first time in four years.

However, Nelsson has only made four league starts this time round and has recently been replaced by Davinson Sanchez, who left North London in the summer.

The report claims Buruk now regrets not selling Nelsson to Spurs, claiming that Sanchez’s arrival wasn’t confirmed at the time, and he also wasn’t expecting defenders Kaan Ayhan and Abdülkerim Bardakcı to perform so well.

Nelsson has already admitted his frustration at being dropped by Galatasaray despite the club rejecting his summer exit. After he was benched for the Champions League clash with Manchester United, he said: “I have been sitting on the bench for three games.

“What do I do if I’m not playing? I live in Istanbul to play football. If I don’t play, I’ll have to find another place. This is clear. I don’t like sitting in the reserve shed.”

While Tottenham missed out on the Dane in the summer, Milliyet have reported that Galatasaray could now look to shift him in January instead and he could be available for only €20m – despite having a €30m release clause (£26m).

The Turkish giants are worried that his value will continue to decrease if he remains on the bench and so are prepared to let him go, with Davinson Sanchez his worthy replacement.

Would Victor Nelsson want to join Tottenham’s bench?

Victor Nelsson could be a solid addition for Tottenham, especially at a reduced price.

However, if he is complaining about his lack of game time for Galatasaray then he won’t be much happier in North London.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have formed an excellent partnership this season and don’t look likely to be disturbed anytime soon. Spurs definitely need some cover in the backline, with Eric Dier potentially on his way out, but would Nelsson join to stay on the bench?