Besiktas want to sign Espanyol striker Wu Lei

Turkish giants Besiktas are hopeful of landing a deal to sign Espanyol striker and China international Wu Lei.

A report in Marca highlights Turkish outlet Fotospor as reporting that the Istanbul club have stepped up their interest in the player following the Catalan club’s relegation.

The 28-year-old joined Espanyol in December 2019 in a €2m deal from Shanghai SIPG – where he scored 169 goals across ten years and became a star at international level, with 18 goals in 67 caps.

In December, Wu Lei became the first Chinese player to score against Barcelona, scoring the 88th-minute equaliser for Espanyol in the Catalan derby after coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw.

A versatile forward, the China international is known for his explosive pace and movement off the ball while his move to Espanyol was also partly viewed as a marketing ploy with the club owned by Chinese businessman Chen Yansheng.

Wu Lei has netted just eight goals this season spread across 45 appearances, with four of those strikes coming in La Liga.

A report last month in Marca claimed English side Wolverhampton Wanderers were weighing up a move for the striker.

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