Images via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock, @RCLens on Twitter & Mateusz Słodkowski/Trojmiasto.pl
The past few days have seen Sebastian Szymański, Adam Buksa and Jakub Kałuziński have moves either confirmed or reported to be close to clubs in the Turkish top flight. Let’s break each story down, and analyse the pros and cons of these moves and the Süper Lig as a whole.
Turkey’s Süper Lig has enjoyed something of a reputation similar to that of the MLS or perhaps the Greek top flight, in that great players or cult heroes tend to move there towards the end of their career, or during lulls in their careers when Top 5 clubs are no longer interested. Big names currently plying their trade in Turkey include Dries Mertens, Michy Batshuayi and Vincent Aboubakar.
It can also be a league where young players not getting time on the pitch in their home nations go to develop and garner interest from bigger clubs, with recent or current examples including Jayden Oosterwolde and Sacha Boey.
Szymański’s move to Fenerbahce, which became official on Wednesday, came as a bit of a surprise to some observers. Given how well he had played with Feyenoord last year and how reportedly happy Szymański was in Rotterdam, many of us expected his loan move to be made permanent this summer. Unfortunately, Szymański’s five-year contract with Dynamo Moscow which he had signed in June 2021 has complicated matters, given that many clubs are either unable or unwilling to pay a Russian club. Fenerbahce had fewer qualms about this side of things, and with Szymański adamant he would not return to his parent club a sale to a top Turkish club like Fenerbahce makes a lot of sense for all parties.
Fenerbahce have just sold their teenage starlet Arda Guler to Real Madrid for €20 million, and picking up a player who occupies a similar position like Szymański for less than half that fee is pretty shrewd business. I don’t expect Szymański to see out his four-year contract with Fenerbahce, and would not be at all surprised if the club sell Szymański on for profit in the next couple of transfer windows, certainly given that Western European clubs will have less qualms about paying Fenerbahce than they would Dynamo Moscow.
As for Szymański putting himself in the shop window for a Top 5 league club, Fenerbahce is arguably a step backwards from Feyenoord. The Eredivisie is widely viewed as one of the best leagues in Europe that isn’t one of the Top 5, whereas the Süper Lig is not. This is not to say the Süper Lig is a poor league, but is doesn’t have the same visibility or carry the same weight at present as the Dutch top flight.
Adam Buksa has endured a horrendous first season with RC Lens, mostly finding himself injured. He’s now reported as having a loan agreement with Antalyaspor, according to Tomasz Włodarczyk, and is undergoing a medical. Hopefully Buksa can rediscover some form and stay injury free with the Mediterranean club, and I for one think this rumoured loan could prove to be a real confidence builder for Buksa.
Jakub Kałuziński has had an odd past year, with alleged discipline problems after having had his head turned by foreign interest in the winter leading to a fractured relationship with his club, Lechia Gdańsk. Now a free agent, Kałuziński is reported to have agreed a three-year deal (including the option of another year) with Antalyaspor and is undergoing a medical, as per Tomasz Włodarczyk. According to Włodarczyk, Kałuziński was convinced by manager Nuri Sahin and turned down offers from clubs in Belgium and Italy, as well as a whole host of Polish clubs.
Kałuziński has a great deal of potential, so it will be interesting to see how he will develop under a manager who played the same position and has reportedly been crucial in attracting the player. I for one hope that Kałuziński can be a stand-out talent in the league this coming season, and secure a big move that might further his development whilst teaming up with a fellow countryman in Buksa.
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