Turkish football's powerhouses Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor have a debt of TL 10.6 billion in total, according to last season's figures. Multiple audit reports indicate that they are in a financial bottleneck. Yet, they did not cease their shopping spree in the summer transfer window. Fifty-one new players joined the four clubs and their total cost, excluding fees for their agents, reached to TL 716 million, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

Beşiktaş recruited eight new players, and Galatasaray signed 14 new ones. Fenerbahçe transferred 12 players, while Trabzonspor had the most with 17 players. It is unclear how new transfers will pay off for clubs, especially for Fenerbahçe, which has the most debt at TL 3.7 billion. Last season's leader Galatasaray follows them with TL 3.2 billion. Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor has a debt of TL 2.6 billion and TL 1.1 billion, respectively.

Audit reports the clubs have to disclose every three months point out to a dire situation. Those independent reports contain a similar tone and that is "a significant uncertainty that may lead to serious doubt about the sustainability [of clubs]." Reports urge club administration to take measures.

Fenerbahçe scored a successful sale with Eljif Elmas, who joined Napoli for a fee of 16 million euros. Nevertheless, it went on recruit 12 new players in the summer, including six it paid a direct transfer fee. In total, transfers cost Fenerbahçe TL 230 million, and this is only for the 2019-2020 season. Broadcasting rights, meanwhile, the largest source of income for clubs, brought TL 160 million for Yellow Canaries last season.

Galatasaray, fresh from its 22nd title in Süper Lig, recruited 14 new players and though most arrived on loan, the amount of yearly fees and other expenses for players amount to TL 220 million for this season. The Lions earned TL 231 million from Süper Lig broadcasting rights last season but coupled with money paid to player agents, Galatasaray spent almost all it earned last season from rights to new transfers. Their only tangible revenue from transfer was the sale of Fernando, who joined Sevilla in the summer and brought TL 28 million to the Lions. Beşiktaş recruited three out of eight players on loan this season and will pay TL 170 million for them this season, while their only sale was Gary Medel, who was sold for a transfer fee for the club for 2 million euros. Trabzonspor had the highest number of transfers among the four with 16 new players, along with the extension of the contract with Caleb Ekuban, who arrived from Black Sea Storms on loan last season. The cost of new transfers for this season amounted to TL 93 million. Trabzonspor almost compensated for all players they hired by the record sale of Yusuf Yazıcı to Lille for 16.5 million euros.