From Lisbon to Munich, Istanbul’s football factories keep producing, but for Türkiye’s latest exports, big transfer fees haven’t always meant big impact.
Over the past few seasons, Turkish Süper Lig stars have made high-profile moves abroad – some lighting up Europe’s elite stages, others cooling on the bench. Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor have all cashed in, but the results have varied.
Galatasaray fullback Sacha Boey shattered records in January when Bayern Munich shelled out 30 million euros ($34 million) plus 5 million euros in bonuses, making him the most expensive outbound transfer in Turkish football history.
Boey had dazzled in Türkiye, anchoring the right flank in Galatasaray’s title charge.
But in Germany, the 23-year-old Frenchman’s momentum stalled.
A string of injuries limited him to just 13 appearances all season, leaving Bayern short of the dynamism they paid for.
Ferdi Kadıoğlu also earned Fenerbahçe a record sale, joining Brighton last summer for 30 million euros plus 750,000 euros in training compensation.
The Turkish international showed early promise in England, notching two goals in eight games before a torn finger ligament sidelined him in November.
He hasn’t played since and is not expected to return before May, according to British media.
Eljif Elmas, once a 16.2 million euro Fenerbahçe prodigy at Napoli, took a leap to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig this winter.
But the North Macedonian midfielder managed just 89 minutes across six matches.
A loan to Torino followed – and suddenly, the 25-year-old is back. Elmas has scored four goals in eight Serie A games, proving there’s still fire in his boots.
Kerem Aktürkoğlu, another Galatasaray graduate, has been a revelation at Benfica since his 12 million euros move last summer.
The electric winger has been involved in 25 goals this season – 14 scored and 11 assisted in 43 appearances.
He debuted in style, scoring against Santa Clara with an assist from compatriot Orkun Kökçü. Today, he’s a central figure in Benfica’s title push.
Golden boy Arda Güler arrived at Real Madrid last summer amid huge expectations and a 20 million euro fee, potentially rising by 10 million euros in bonuses.
But breaking into Carlo Ancelotti’s loaded lineup proved difficult.
Though he appeared in 34 matches, the 19-year-old playmaker clocked only 1,233 minutes. Still, he tallied three goals and seven assists, showing flashes of what might be.
South Korean center-back Kim Min-Jae has become a rock for Bayern Munich.
Signed after a dominant season at Napoli, the former Fenerbahçe defender has played 42 matches – including 13 in the Champions League – and scored 3 goals.
Unlike some of his peers, Kim has delivered consistent performances for one of Europe’s most demanding clubs.
Vedat Muriç struggled at Lazio after a 17.5 million euro move from Fenerbahçe in 2020, but a loan to Real Mallorca in early 2022 reignited his form.
Mallorca made the move permanent, and the Kosovar striker has since flourished.
This season, Muriç has seven goals and two assists in 26 games – proving he's more than just a target man.
Yusuf Yazıcı’s journey has been stop-start since leaving Trabzonspor for Lille in 2019 for 16.5 million euros. After loans to CSKA Moscow and a return to Trabzon, the Turkish international joined Olympiakos this season on a free.
But tragedy struck in his first game: a torn ACL ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
