Football Season Guide

Besiktas had another season below the expectations and once again failed to become a serious part of the title race. That is why the pressure remains very high ahead of the new campaign. The fans have been waiting for a squad capable of challenging Galatasaray and Fenerbahce for a long time and the board have reacted with some ambitious moves in the transfer market. Compared to recent summers, there is no doubt that they have tried to add more quality and experience to the starting eleven. Orkun Kokcu is once again one of the most important names in their plans. His loan period came to an end but the club brought him back from Benfica. The midfield was also strengthened with Salih Ozcan, who has gained valuable experience in Bundesliga. Besides them, Al-Musrati, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Jean Onana and Joao Mario returned following their loan periods. However, there are too many names for similar roles and the board may have to decrease the numbers before the transfer window closes. Salih Ucan already left the club while Asllani returned to Inter. The biggest excitement comes from the offence line. Leandro Trossard was added from Arsenal and his versatility should give the coach several options. Semih Kilicsoy also returned from Cagliari but Jota Silva, El Bilal Toure and Cengiz Under left following the end of their loan periods. So, another attacker may still be necessary. On the net, Ersin Destanoglu left for Al-Jazira while Alexander Nubel and Dogan Alemdar were added. At backline, the retirement of long-serving Necip Uysal and departures of Gokhan Sazdagi & Tayyip Talha decreased the domestic options. Ouattara was added but another quality defender would make the squad safer. In general, Besiktas look more talented in midfield and offence but they still have some work to do defensively. If the new arrivals adapt quickly, they should be much more competitive this time.