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Tottenham have rejected Galatasaray’s opening bid for their central midfielder. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr’s desire to seek opportunities elsewhere stems from a growing concern over his potential playing time in the upcoming season. The Senegalese international managed only 26 Premier League appearances last season, 10 fewer than what he achieved during the 2024/25 campaign. Securing regular minutes could become significantly more difficult following the club’s activity in the transfer market. The Tottenham chiefs have backed head coach Roberto De Zerbi with major summer investments, including high-profile signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. Their arrivals have created a heavily congested central midfield rotation that already boasts players such as Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. The surplus of options threatens the player’s development at White Hart Lane. Tottenham reject Galatasaray’s opening bid for Pape Matar Sarr Earlier this week, it emerged that Aston Villa have ‘serious’ interest in Pape Matar Sarr. Unai Emery has identified the Tottenham man as a concrete option to bolster Aston Villa’s midfield unit. However, the 23-year-old is reportedly willing to join Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig. Galatasaray have also been keeping tabs on the Senegalese international, who has racked up 141 appearances and scored 11 goals for Spurs. Now, according to reliable journalist Sacha Tavolieri on X, Galatasaray submitted an €18M bid for Sarr. Tottenham rejected that first offer, but talks are now ongoing between the two clubs. The Lilywhites are demanding at least €25m for the combative midfielder. The Turkish champions are progressing with the player’s representatives over personal terms. Spurs ready to offload Sarr While Tottenham’s hierarchy would naturally prefer to retain Sarr because of his young age, potential, Premier League experience and the need for squad depth across multiple competitions, the player and his agency appear determined to explore an exit. Spurs have invested heavily in building De Zerbi’s squad, meaning they will likely need to offload current players to balance the books and restructure their roster before the transfer window slams shut. Given the surplus of options in the engine room, Sarr stands out as a player who could be cashed in without compelling the club bosses to immediately replace him in De Zerbi’s roster. Galatasaray want the central midfielder. The player is keen on a move to Turkey. The two clubs are locked in negotiations to find an agreement. The issue is the €7m difference in valuation, although that is not a mammoth gap that cannot be bridged.