Explosive names and an Israeli representative: Another crazy summer in Erdogan's league
Mohamed Salah, Romelu Lukaku, and Nathan Ake are among the stars joining the Turkish league, which now boasts squads rivaling top European divisions. Fenerbahce and Besiktas have invested heavily to challenge four-time defending champion Galatasaray, while Israeli player Dia Saba makes his mark with newly promoted Amedspor.
In recent years, Turkish clubs have repeatedly broken spending records. While the league, which kicked off last Friday with a dramatic 2:2 draw between Galatasaray and Corum, has always been flush with cash, concerns regarding club deficits and scandals—most notably the betting affair from last season—have raised questions about the source of these funds. This summer, the spending frenzy has notably cooled.
Galatasaray, the four-time defending champion that stunned the market last summer by acquiring Victor Osimhen for a record 75 million euros, spent only 3.5 million euros this summer, primarily on the loan of Lesley Ugochukwu from Burnley. City rivals Fenerbahce (87 million euros) and Besiktas (67 million euros) were more active, yet the overall caliber of talent arriving in Turkey remains at an all-time high. Mohamed Salah, Romelu Lukaku, Mason Greenwood, Nathan Ake, and likely Darwin Nunez are set to star on Turkish pitches this season.
The Giants' Status
Galatasaray had a lean summer while battling a massive 484 million euro debt, despite reporting a 12.8 million euro profit last season. Nevertheless, the champion retained its core, including Victor Osimhen, Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, Wilfried Singo, and Davinson Sanchez, remaining the top candidate for a fifth consecutive title.
Fenerbahce has not won a championship in 12 years. With the return of Aziz Yildirim—the president during the club's 1998–2018 golden age—the team invested heavily in Mason Greenwood (39 million euros), Sidiki Cherif (18 million), Vedat Muriqi (15.5 million), Nathan Ake (8 million), and Romelu Lukaku (6 million). The squad now also features Marco Asensio, N'Golo Kante, Nelson Semedo, and Ederson.
Besiktas, following two consecutive fourth-place finishes, appointed Vincenzo Italiano as head coach. The club made significant acquisitions, including Leandro Trossard from Arsenal (18 million euros), Orkun Kokcu (30 million euros), and goalkeeper Alexander Nubel from Bayern Munich (6 million euros).
Trabzonspor and the Israeli Connection
Trabzonspor has firmly established itself as a top-tier contender. The headline move was the signing of Mohamed Salah on a free transfer. Other notable additions include Ruslan Malinovskyi and Sidney Lopes Cabral.
Meanwhile, newly promoted Amedspor is drawing attention. Based in Diyarbakir—the unofficial capital of the Kurds in Turkey, known locally as Amed—the team features Israeli international Dia Saba, who played a pivotal role in their promotion. Having played in the third division as recently as 2024, Amedspor’s primary goal this season is survival.
