Chelsea are interested in signing Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari, but will face competition from Super Lig leaders Galatasary, according to reports.
Contract negotiations are said to have broken down between Ayari and his current Premier League club, with the Blues lurking.
The Swede has already bagged two assists in six Premier League games for Brighton this season, with his current contract set to expire come the 2026-27 season’s conclusion.
Chelsea lurk as Yasin Ayari’s contract negotiations with Brighton break down
Despite Ayari’s contract soon expiring, the Seagulls do hold an option to extend his deal by an additional 12 months.
However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, the club are yet to activate that clause, and Chelsea are prowling for the Swede’s signature, with Galatasaray emerging as clear rivals.
Ayari is well known to the Blues’ sporting director Paul Winstanley, who has been alerted to the contract conflict between the Swede and Brighton.
Winstanley worked as the Seagulls’ Head of Scouting before his exit from the club in late 2022; now, the Chelsea chief, who initially alerted Brighton to Ayari’s potential, wants to experience a reunion with the player at Stamford Bridge.
As things stand, the Blues are only keeping tabs on the Sweden international, and keeping their options alive ahead of future transfer windows in January and beyond.
If the plug is pulled, and Chelsea are successful, Ayari would join as one of many players to leave Brighton for the Blues, which includes the likes of Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro.
In recent years, the London club has successfully pilfered more than a dozen members of staff and players from the Seagulls.
According to the report, Chelsea are likely to face competition for Ayari’s signature from multiple other Premier League sides, but they are currently unnamed.
In the Super Lig, Galatasaray, who are shooting high for an unprecedented fifth successive Turkish top-flight title, are among those outside of England hoping to bag Ayari.
Like Chelsea, they are also displaying interest and continuing to monitor developments in the Swede’s situation at Brighton. Saudi Pro League sides are also lurking, too.
As things stand, Ayari’s future with the Seagulls is up in the air; should he wish to move, Chelsea will certainly be among those interested.
