Cenk Tosun’s contract with Everton will help cut Turkey’s current account deficit: Deputy PM

Cenk Tosun’s contract with Everton will help cut Turkey’s current account deficit: Deputy PM

ANKARA

Beşiktaş striker Cenk Tosun’s possible contract with English Premier League club Everton, a deal worth 25 million sterling according to media reports, “will help Turkey cut its current account deficit,” Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek has suggested.

“If correct, I congratulate both Beşiktaş and Cenk Tosun,” Şimşek wrote on his Twitter account on Jan. 4.

“I also congratulate them for their contribution to our balance of payments,” he added ironically.

“Indeed, Turkey should post a large foreign trade surplus in footballer transfers, considering its population of more than 80 million and the great interest in football here,” Şimşek noted.

After weeks of rumors Everton is reportedly close to signing Tosun, who has shone during the Istanbul side’s Champions League campaign this season.

Beşiktaş chairman Fikret Orman recently flew to England for talks with the Liverpool-based club, according to reports.