Galatasaray have reached a significant milestone in their history with the signing of Michy Batshuayi, marking the 202nd foreign player to join the club's ranks since the inception of the Turkish 1st Football League, now known as the Süper Lig, in the 1959 season.
Batshuayi, a Belgian striker who previously played for Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe in Türkiye, now joins Galatasaray following his successful tenure at these rival clubs.
Beginning his Turkish adventure with Beşiktaş on loan from Chelsea during the 2021-2022 season, Batshuayi made a significant impact, scoring 14 goals in 42 appearances for the Black Eagles.
Moving to Fenerbahçe for the 2022-2023 season in a permanent transfer worth 3.5 million euros ($3.5 million), Batshuayi continued his impressive form, netting 24 goals in 43 matches during the 2023-2024 campaign.
Opting not to extend his contract with Fenerbahçe, the Belgian forward has now signed a new three-year deal with the Yellow Canaries' archrivals Galatasaray ahead of the upcoming season.
Batshuayi's arrival at Galatasaray also marks him as the fifth Belgian player to don the famous Yellow-Red jersey, following in the footsteps of Mbo Mpenza, Jason Denayer, Luis Cavanda and Dries Mertens.
In addition to Belgians, Galatasaray have historically favored Brazilian talents, signing 24 players from Brazil since 1959, leading the club's foreign recruitment efforts.
Alongside its international signings, Galatasaray have also seen seven Turkish-origin players represent the club, including Kubilay Türkyılmaz, Hakan Yakın, Eren Derdiyok (Swiss passport holders), Pierre Esser, Kerem Demirbay, Jimmy Durmaz (Swedish international), and Yusuf Demir (Austrian passport holder).
