Salih Özcan to Istanbul for a bargain price? | OneFootball

His time at Borussia Dortmund is coming to an end. By the summer of 2026 at the latest, Salih Özcan (27) will be done at BVB. However, a departure during the upcoming winter break seems likely.

From 2007 to 2022, Özcan wore the jersey of 1. FC Köln – interrupted only by a loan to Holstein Kiel in the 2019/20 season. The Black and Yellows paid five million euros for the midfield enforcer, whose football idol is the Italian hardman Gennaro Gattuso (47).

"He is an incredibly strong player in tackles and headers. Someone who goes where it hurts and gives everything uncompromisingly for his team to succeed. His mentality and his physicality, combined with his game intelligence, will be good for our team," raved Sebastian Kehl (45), then head of the licensing department, about Özcan in May 2022.

In his first season for BVB in the Bundesliga, the Turkish national player was on the field 26 times, but the number of appearances has steadily decreased in the following years: from 23 to eleven to just three in the current season. Özcan is no longer even registered for the Champions League.

Without Match Practice Since September

The signs are unmistakably pointing to a farewell. According to Turkish sports journalist Nevzat Dindar, Okan Buruk (52) is particularly interested in signing Özcan. The coach of Galatasaray Istanbul intends to bring the BVB professional to the Süper Lig. Due to the expiring contract, a transfer fee of only 1.5 to two million euros is being discussed.

To make the Turkish squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the 27-year-old needs match practice – more than he is currently getting in Dortmund. To ensure Borussia at least receives a small amount, a transfer in the winter is advisable.

Sportingly, the departure of the Cologne native could be managed. Niko Kovač (54) last used Özcan in mid-September in the 1-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg – for one minute.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.