Famara Diedhiou has reached an "agreement in principle" to join Turkish Super Lig club Alanyaspor, according to reports, having effectively priced himself out of a move to stay in England.
Ajansspor.com are reporting that Alanyaspor have aggressively pursued Diedhiou in their desire to sign a striker this summer and the final decision now rests with the 28-year-old to complete the transfer.
Diedhiou is available on a free transfer following a long and increasingly messy exit from Bristol City in which he was locked in contract negotiations for much of 2020/21 only to then cast doubt over whether the Robins truly wanted to keep him.
Former CEO Mark Ashton claimed the popular frontman had been offered one of the biggest deals in the club's history in the summer of 2020 but turned it down.
The Senegalese had been wanted by Championship rivals Middlesbrough but his wage demands were far above what Boro were willing to pay, a situation that also rendered any stay in England unlikely.
West Brom were understood to be the only English club with a credible chance of meeting his salary expectations due to parachute payments but that link had gone cold in recent weeks.
Diedhiou became a cult figure over his four seasons with City in which he scored 46 Championship goals in 154 games but the manner of his exit slightly soured relations with the fanbase.
His performances after the arrival of Nigel Pearson as manager in late February increasingly declined and he didn't feature in the Robins' final three games due to a knee injury.
He had been repeatedly linked with moves to the Turkish Super Lig, in particular Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, when he was under contract at Ashton Gate but no formal bids had ever been forthcoming.
At Alanyaspor, he will be able to enjoy top-flight football and hopefully retain his place in the Senegal squad for the 2022 African Cup of Nations with international teammate Khouma Babacar already part of the squad.
Alanyaspor finished seventh in the Super Lig last season, five points outside the European qualification places. They are based in Alanya, in the south west of the country and play at the 10,000-capacity Bahçeşehir Okulları Stadium.
