Galatasaray were interested: Arda Okan close to Göztepe exit

News summary

Player sales have once again come to the fore at Göztepe, who made a poor start to the season with 2 defeats and 1 draw in their first 3 Süper Lig matches. The departure of Arda Okan, who has been linked with Galatasaray, has also begun to be discussed more clearly.

News details

Most recently sending Nigerian midfielder Anthony Dennis to UAE side Al Jazira Club for 5 million Euros plus bonuses, Göztepe right-back Arda Okan Kurtulan has been strongly linked with Galatasaray. At the beginning of the summer transfer window, Galatasaray Manager Okan Buruk had exchanged views with Honorary President Mehmet Sepil regarding the transfer of Arda Okan.

However, while the transfer did not materialize at that time, it is reported that Galatasaray has stepped in once again for the 23-year-old footballer. With 4 days remaining until the deadline of the transfer window, it is noted that the two clubs are continuing negotiations. The Yellow-Red Istanbul side submitted a 6 million Euro offer to Göz-Göz management. However, it is claimed that owner company Sport Republic expects a figure around 8 million Euros. Developed in Fenerbahçe's youth academy, Arda transferred to Göztepe from Adana Demirspor last season. Arda Okan has a contract with Göztepe until 2029.

Following the poor performances and consecutive defeats at Göztepe, the Yellow-Red fans demanded an end to player sales and that the squad quality not be compromised. Football fans expressing that Arda Okan should remain with the team this season stated that success cannot be achieved with an inadequate squad. Besides Dennis, Göztepe parted ways this season with key players including goalkeeper Lis, Brazilian center-back Heliton, Tunisian left-back Cherni, Brazilian forwards Guilherme Luiz and Jeh, as well as Krastev. Juan's transfer to CSKA Moscow fell through at the last minute. As the transfer window in Europe closes, the possibility of Juan being sold to Europe during the summer transfer window no longer remains.

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Highlights

• Tournament: Süper Lig
• Relevant clubs: Galatasaray, Göztepe
• News type: Transfer
• Certainty: The source reports this development as an allegation; no official announcement was specified.

Source

This news was compiled from information obtained from Sözcü (published: 1 September 2026 11:23).

Original article: Sözcü