Besiktas are planning to sign Middlesbrough’s Ryan Shotton if they end up selling Domagoj Vida to West Bromwich Albion according to a report from Turkish publication Takvim.
It has been well reported that West Brom are interested in signing Vida from Besiktas. He is likely to leave the Turkish club due to the state of their finances and the Baggies are planning to make a move though it does depend on if they are able to get promoted this season. They do face some stiff competition though with the likes of Arsenal also looking into signing him.
But if Vida decides to swap Istanbul for the West Midlands, it may trigger an English defender heading in the opposite direction. While Shotton has been a regular for Middlesbrough during his three years on Riverside, his time on the pitch has declined ever since Jonathan Woodgate became their head coach. With his contract set to expire in the summer and teams expected to cut their budgets due to the Coronavirus pandemic limiting revenue, Shotton may be on his way out of Middlesbrough.
That’s where Besiktas would move in if they needed a replacement for Vida. With the fact they’ll be working with a smaller squad due to their poor finances next season, they like the fact Shotton can play in several positions. He is usually utilised as a right-back or centre-back but has played elsewhere during his career as well. Besiktas see Shotton as the perfect replacement for Vida should they end up selling him.
