Senegalese striker Moussa Sow has arrived in İstanbul to formally finalize a deal with İstanbul giant Fenerbahçe.

Sow, who had been linked to Arsenal as well as Liverpool, said he has received many offers but that Fenerbahçe’s was “most appealing.” Fenerbahçe said in a statement to the Ä°stanbul Stock Exchange (Ä°MKB) on Thursday that it is negotiating with France’s Lille for the 26-year-old striker’s transfer. Lille confirmed earlier this week that it had accepted Fenerbahçe’s offer for Sow.

Sow had previously stated that his dream was to join Liverpool, but it is believed that Liverpool was unwilling to match Fenerbahçe’s bid for the striker, who played an integral role in Lille’s Ligue 1 success last term, goal.com reported.

Speaking to reporters at Ä°stanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Thursday night, Sow said he has long wanted to play in Turkey. “I grew up in a neighborhood with Turkish friends. They always used to tell me about Turkey and Fenerbahçe,” he said. “I received many offers, however, Fenerbahçe appealed to me the most. The club showed a lot of interest in me and I was convinced that Fenerbahçe was the best decision for me.”

Sow is set to sign a four-and-a-half-year deal with Fenerbahçe, under which he will receive an annual salary of 3.2 million euros. The deal is expected to be worth up to an overall 24.4 million euros.