Turks plan £6m swoop for Ricketts

Galatasaray have begun negotiations to sign Bolton striker Michael Ricketts in a £6million deal.

Sportsmail can reveal that officials from the Turkish club met Bolton chairman Phil Gartside at his Spanish villa over the weekend and are ready to launch a bid for the unsettled marksman.

Bolton have increased their wage bill dramatically this summer with the signings of Jay Jay Okocha, Delroy Facey, Akin Bulent, the permanent deal for Youri Djorkaeff and the loan agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bernard Mendy.

Significantly, the deal with Bulent, a free transfer under the Bosman ruling, established links between Bolton and Galatasaray where the former Turkish Under 21 was playing before moving to the Reebok Stadium.

Now Galatasaray want to take Ricketts in the opposite direction - and they have the financial strength to make an offer too tempting for Bolton to turn down.

Ricketts had a dramatic first season at the Reebok Stadium after his bargain £250,000 transfer from Walsall, scoring 24 times as Bolton reached the Premiership.

But after an impressive start to life in the Premiership, during which time he earned his first senior England cap against Holland, Ricketts' goals dried up and he fell out of favour with the Bolton management.

Representatives from Galatasaray were told they could do business at £6m as long as they can persuade the player to move to Turkey.