The 2025/26 Turkish Super Lig season is shaping up with a flurry of headline-grabbing transfers as Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe race to strengthen their squads.
Orkun Kökçü up for Beşiktaş switch
Beşiktaş are closing in on a marquee signing with 24-year-old Turkish midfielder Orkun Kökçü set to leave Benfica.
A lifelong Beşiktaş fan, Kökçü has reportedly turned down offers from Europe’s elite – Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Inter Milan – and Saudi giants Al-Nassr to join the Black Eagles.
Kökçü’s rise has been steady and impressive: from Feyenoord (175 games, 32 goals, 26 assists) to Benfica, where he’s contributed 19 goals and 22 assists in 98 appearances.
Despite a 30 million euro-plus valuation ($35.1 million), Benfica demand up to 40 million euros.
Beşiktaş president Serdal Adalı’s direct negotiations in Portugal indicate the club is exploring loan-to-buy and partial rights deals, aiming to finalize the transfer soon.
The midfielder’s fallout with Benfica coach Bruno Lage, highlighted during the FIFA Club World Cup clash with Auckland City, has accelerated his desire to leave.
If sealed, Kökçü’s creativity and leadership will bolster Beşiktaş’s midfield, joining recent signings David Jurasek and Tammy Abraham, signaling high ambitions under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Victor Osimhen set to stay at Galatasaray
After an electrifying loan spell, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen looks poised to make his stay at Galatasaray permanent.
The 26-year-old, Süper Lig’s Golden Boot winner with 37 goals in 41 matches, has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth 16 million euros net annually, with Galatasaray ready to trigger Napoli’s 75 million euro release clause.
Osimhen’s retention marks a major coup for the Turkish champions, who also signed Leroy Sane this window.
While Napoli courts other offers, the player’s preference for Istanbul has pushed the deal close to completion, with announcements expected soon.
This focus has deprioritized Galatasaray’s earlier interest in Orkun Kökçü.
Goalkeeper search intensifies at Galatasaray
With veteran captain Fernando Muslera aging gracefully at 39, Galatasaray is eyeing fresh goalkeeping talent.
Muslera kept 12 clean sheets in 36 games last season but the club’s ambition calls for a long-term successor.
Targets include Fenerbahçe’s Dominik Livakovic – a tough acquisition given his form and rival status; Manchester United’s Altay Bayındır, a Turkish keeper familiar with the Süper Lig; and Porto’s Diogo Costa, whose 45 million euro price tag and Premier League interest make him a distant hope.
After a quiet falling-out with Barcelona following the arrival of Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has reportedly emerged as a potential target for Galatasaray, though concrete details remain scarce.
The club is prioritizing experience and leadership between the posts, with no deal imminent but negotiations expected to heat up.
Fenerbahçe’s bold pursuit of Marcus Rashford
Fenerbahçe has emerged as a surprising suitor for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, who struggled in the last Premier League season with just eight goals.
Manager Jose Mourinho, familiar with Rashford’s potential, is reportedly keen to reunite.
Despite high wages (15 million euros annually) and a hefty transfer fee demand (40 million euros), Fenerbahçe sees Rashford as a marquee addition to complement recent signings Jhon Duran and Alexis Sanchez.
The deal faces stiff competition from Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich and remains speculative.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe solidified their defense by signing Milan Skriniar permanently from PSG and extended Jayden Oosterwolde’s contract, signaling their determination to challenge Galatasaray and Beşiktaş for Süper Lig supremacy.
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