Aston Villa made a cool £10 million profit when they sold Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad after just one rather hit-and-miss season in the Premier League.
But if Saudi Arabia has emerged as a very modern destination for footballers in search of a hefty pay day, then the Turkish Super Lig was something of a trendsetter in this department.
During the summer of 2024, Hakim Ziyech, Michy Batshuayi, Caglar Soyuncu, Allan Saint-Maximin, Joao Mario, Gabriel Paulista and Lazio legend Ciro Immobile all completed moves to one of the division’s big hitters.
Turkey, however, is not only home to high-earning big-names who have moved past their peak. Or, indeed, talented footballers who had fallen on hard times elsewhere and needed a fresh start.
As the veterans continue to pile in, there is a growing trend of rising stars heading out the door. Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton), Sacha Boey (Bayern Munich), Arda Guler (Real Madrid) and Kim Min-Jae (Napoli) are just some of the players who made their name in Turkey before making big-money moves to oneof Europe’s top five leagues.
Aston Villa allegedly made Semih Kilicsoy ‘offer’
Semih Kilicsoy, meanwhile, is one of those in contention to be in the next cab off the Super Lig ramp.
Kilicsoy’s agent recently told Sporx that Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal and Manchester City had been ‘watching’ the Besiktas wonderkid.
HITC understands that Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Man United and Aston Villa have been keeping a very close eye on the 19-year-old’s development too over in Istanbul.
And Sinan Engin, the former Besiktas defender who later returned to the Vodafone Arena in a behind-the-scenes role, claims to have heard from his contacts close to the club that an offer actually arrived from one of the aforementioned Premier League giants.
“Did you know that Aston Villa offered 15 million euros for Semih Kilicsoy?,” Engin tells Asist Analiz on their official YouTube channel. “And Besiktas did not accept (the bid).”
The Midland giants have invested heavily in youth and potential during the last few transfer windows.
While former Juventus duo Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior will spend the season out on loan at Valencia and Bologna respectively, both players were brought in with the future very much in mind.
Aston Villa also snapped up Ian Maatsen, Kosta Nedeljkovic, Morgan Rogers, Lewis Dobbin and former academy star Jaden Philogene for substantial fees.
The £12.6 million they reportedly offered for Kilicsoy, meanwhile, came on the back of an impressive breakout season in which the teenage centre-forward scored 11 Super Lig goals in just 20 starts.
Manchester City and Arsenal are big fans of Besiktas striker
Whether Aston Villa had a first-team role earmarked for Kilicsoy, or whether he too would have been loaned out initially, is anyone’s guess. Perhaps Unai Emery’s side were planning for the three-time Turkey international to come in as a replacement for Jhon Duran.
The Colombian looked likely to leave earlier in the window, after all. There was interest from Chelsea and West Ham.
An instinctive and emphatic finisher off both feet, Kilicsoy has been likened to Germany and Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller. The player himself models his game on Man City icon Sergio Aguero, meanwhile, and hopes to follow in the Argentine’s footsteps on English shores at some point in the near future.
“In terms of my playing style, I find Premier League, Serie A and La Liga suitable for me,” Kilicsoy tells Fotospor. “I compare myself to Aguero in terms of playing style. My dream is to play in the Premier League.
“It’s the pinnacle of football.”
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