Fikret Orman has confirmed that the club are still retaining hope that they can bring in Mario Gomez

Besiktas president Fikret Orman has confirmed that the club are still retaining hope that they can bring in Fiorentina forward Mario Gomez before the end of the transfer window.

Turkish football may be in a state of despair due to the violence happening in the region, but the sport has continued to thrive even in the absence of peace. After having recently achieved immense success in the Turkish league, Besiktas are looking to build on this platform by continuously finishing ahead of teams like Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. The signing of a player like Gomez could significantly alter the stance of the club.

Gomez has been one of the consistent goalscorer’s in European football over the last decade. He was a regular for the German national team before really concentrating on club football following his move away from Bayern Munich in 2007. Over the years, there have been various rumours linking the forward with a move to some of them top clubs. This has certainly subsided since the player at 31 years of age is not an attractive proposition for the really top clubs. Besiktas, however, will appreciate the fact that Gomez will come into the squad adding a lot of experience.

The former Bayern Munich striker still has one year left on his contract with Fiorentina but his future remains unclear. “Gomez is a player we like. Fiorentina have not caused us any problems. We’re trying to wrap things up, but time is pressing,” said Orman. Fiorentina’s general manager Pantaleo Corvino recently claimed that the club was looking to offload a striker since it would reduce their wage bill quite substantially. This would allow the Italian club to focus elsewhere on the pitch. Gomez is the highest earner at Fiorentina and his departure will bring a lot of breathing space into the finances.