Galatasaray swoop for Erdem

Werder Bremen have agreed to sell Turkey Under-21 international Alparslan Erdem to Galatasaray for an undisclosed fee. The 19-year-old defender has come through the youth ranks at the northern Germany side and their director of football Klaus Allofs admitted his regret at seeing him go. "It is an interesting challenge for Alparslan Erdem because Galatasaray have in mind a good role for him in their team," he said. "Nevertheless, it is a real shame because he was on the fringes of our team and would have had chances. "The fact is, we have a strong competition for places at left full-back and there are lots of young players coming through. "Galatasaray's offer was attractive for everybody and was lucrative for us." Erdem never quite made the breakthrough at Bremen, the club he joined as a 14-year-old. He leaves with a few... [read full story]