BBC SPORT | AFRICA | Galatasaray pursue Dindane and Youla

Turkish giants Galatasaray, who won the Uefa Cup last year and are in the Champions League quarter-finals, are chasing the Belgian-based African duo of Aruna Dindane and Souleymane Youla.

Both are forwards on the books of Belgian champions Anderlecht but could be moving to Istanbul in a bid worth �4.2m, according to Galatasaray officials.

The Turkish club have already agreed deals in principle with the players, who would be the first big-name Africans to sign with Galatasaray, who have traditionally sought to fill their complement of foreign players with Germans and East Europeans.

Anderlecht have also confirmed Galatasaray's interest for the teenage pair.

Academy graduate

Youla, who is on loan from Lokeren, is a Guinea international, with several key goals for his country already under his belt. He turns 20 in November.

Anderlecht must soon decide whether or not to sign Youla from their fellow first division club for an agreed fee of �1.5m.

Okan Buruk is leaving Gala for Inter Milan
Dindane is exactly one year and three days older than Youla and joined Anderlecht last year from ASEC Abidjan, where he is the most high-profile graduate of the Ivorian club's famous academy.

Dindane helped ASEC, the 1998 Champions League winners, to also take a sensational African Super Cup result last year against Esperance of Tunisia.

Replacements needed

Galatasaray are looking for replacements for Okan Buruk and Emre Belozoglu, expected to be sold to Inter Milan of Italy at the end of the season.

Ironically, both Youla and Dindane have not seen much in the way of regular action for Anderlecht, the runaway leaders in the Belgian championship, this season.

In league matches, Dindane has started just three of the club's 26 games so far this season, but scored three times after coming on as a substitute.

A recent poll by the Belgian newspaper Sport24 ranked him among the top five most valuable players at Anderlecht.

Youla has made just one start this season but come on as a substitute a further nine times with one goal scored.


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