Comments from Galatasaray Head Coach Okan Buruk on Lemina! 'Our talks are ongoing'

Galatasaray Head Coach Okan Buruk assessed both the team’s performance and the status of the new signings and young players in his remarks following the preseason match.

Comparing the match to the start of last season’s training camp, Buruk said, “Let’s call it déjà vu. Last year we started here with a 5-2 win; this year we started with a 5-1 win. This year we started with a younger team than last year. We saw a lot of young players. This is an opportunity for our players. Our upcoming matches will get a bit tougher. Our national team players will also join us later. We didn’t use Osimhen and Sallai today; we’ll evaluate them in the coming period. Every player tried to maintain the same approach to the game. That was the best part for me,” he said.

Expressing his satisfaction with the young players’ performance, the experienced coach stated, “Beyond the result, it was important to see the young players. We have 17-year-old players on our roster, and they give us hope for the future. I’m happy for them. I’m also happy that we were able to give them playing time today.”

Touching on new signing Lesley Ugochukwu’s adaptation to the team, Buruk said, “We also need to help Lesley adapt to our style of play. Our next two matches will be tougher, and our game will become clearer then. We want a structure where our midfielders play in harmony with one another. We need to blend these players well and use them according to the situation of the match. I plan to use all of them," he said.

Buruk also commented on young player Renato Nhaga, saying, “He’s one of the players who arrived ready to play. Even if he loses the ball, you can see he’s capable of regaining possession. The preseason will be crucial for him. We need to give him the best possible playing time.”

Responding to a question about the Mario Lemina transfer, Buruk explained, “Lemina’s situation hasn’t been finalized yet. Negotiations are ongoing.”

Noting that the preseason camp has been productive, the Galatasaray head coach said, “We don’t have a very large roster right now, but we’re in the preseason. It’s more important to get the players to perform at a high level than to focus on the results. We’ll continue to ramp up the intensity at the camp in Austria. This period is very important for us. After completing the camp successfully and returning, we’ll play two more good preseason matches. Overall, I’m satisfied with the pace of our work. I think we’re working well,” he concluded.