Turkish Super Lig spent €278 million net this summer, with several clubs signing star players, according to The Athletic.

From the opening of the transfer market on June 15 until its close on Tuesday, the 20 Premier League clubs collectively spent €4.1 billion. According to Transfermarkt data, the Premier League's net spend exceeded €1.5 billion, with Serie A ranking second at €419 million, followed by Turkey at €278 million.

The Super Lig ranks 9th in UEFA's coefficient standings, behind the top leagues in Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands, and only ahead of the Polish top league. Fenerbahçe ranks 27th in club rankings, Galatasaray 46th, and Beşiktaş 151st.

Despite the Super Lig not being a top European league, Turkish clubs invested heavily this summer. Of the top 5 historical transfer fees for Turkish clubs, three occurred this summer window: Galatasaray signed Leão for €38 million, Fenerbahçe acquired Greenwood for €39 million, and Beşiktaş converted Kılıçdaroğlu's loan to a permanent transfer for €30 million.

Beşiktaş signed Trossard from Arsenal in July. Trossard had just won the Premier League with Arsenal and started in the Champions League final. Weeks later, Beşiktaş also signed Vlahović on a free transfer after he left Juventus.

Fenerbahçe brought in Aké from Manchester City and signed Greenwood from Olympique Marseille. Greenwood faced allegations of rape and sexual assault in 2022; he denied the allegations, and the case was dropped in 2023. Fenerbahçe fans did not stage significant protests over this signing, and local media coverage of the case was limited.

Greenwood's transfer also became a topic in the Fenerbahçe club presidential election. Candidate Hakan Şefik had claimed to have reached an agreement with Greenwood, but the eventually elected Aziz Yıldırım subsequently completed the signing.

Later in the transfer window, Fenerbahçe signed 33-year-old Lukaku from Napoli for €6 million. Lukaku made only 5 Serie A appearances last season and started just once in Belgium's World Cup campaign. Fenerbahçe hopes Lukaku can play a role similar to Osimhen at Galatasaray.

Lukaku, Aké, and Greenwood joined teammates Ederson, Guendouzi, Asensio, Kanté, Semedo, and Kimpembe.

In the last week of August, Galatasaray signed Leão from Milan, fending off competition from Aston Villa. Galatasaray believed that acquiring Osimhen for €75 million last season, which tripled the Turkish transfer record, negatively impacted their transfer negotiations this summer. A club source stated, "Everyone thought we had as much money as the Saudi teams."

One of the most notable signings this summer came from Trabzonspor. In June, while watching the Euro 2024 tournament, head coach Fatih Terim received a message from club president Ertuğrul Doğan: "Coach, do you want Salah?"

After lengthy negotiations with Beşiktaş broke down, Salah signed a two-year contract with Trabzonspor, with an annual net salary of approximately €17 million. He also receives about 20% of the sales revenue from jerseys printed with his name and number.

Doğan arranged Salah's medical examination in Istanbul, nearly 900 kilometers from Trabzon, where about 10,000 fans gathered to welcome him. Doğan told Salah: "You will meet fans you have never encountered before, and you will feel their heartfelt love."

Later that day, about 30,000 fans came to Papara Park Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000, to watch Salah's unveiling ceremony. Salah said, "I have never seen anything like this before." More than a week later, for his first home match, a fan even brought a camel to the stadium.

Trabzonspor then signed Salah's former Liverpool teammate Fabinho, who had just left Saudi club Al-Ittihad.

These signings align with a common pattern in the Super Lig in recent years: signing well-known players who are past their prime but still capable of competing in European competitions. Drogba, Robin van Persie, Roberto Carlos, and Anelka all played in Turkey late in their careers.

In recent years, the number of high-profile signings in the Super Lig has increased again. Fenerbahçe signed Özil, Džeko, and Bonucci, while Galatasaray brought in Gündoğan, Sané, and Osimhen. This summer's star players are no longer concentrated in just one or two clubs.

A major reason Turkish clubs are increasing investment is the desire to end Galatasaray's dominance. Galatasaray has won the Super Lig for four consecutive seasons and is aiming for an unprecedented five consecutive titles in the Super Lig's history. Fenerbahçe has not won the league since 2014.

The competition among Turkish giants has also created a ripple effect. After one club completes a blockbuster signing, other teams often feel pressured to respond with even bigger acquisitions. Champions League revenue is also attractive; Fenerbahçe entered the Champions League group stage this season for the first time since 2008-09.

Turkish clubs sometimes compete with Saudi League teams for the same targets. Fenerbahçe tried to sign Aston Villa forward Watkins this summer, but the player ultimately joined Al-Hilal. Turkish clubs struggle to offer comparable salaries but can provide opportunities in European competitions.

Regarding funding sources, Galatasaray sold land in Florya, outside Istanbul's city center, a few years ago. According to The Athletic, this real estate deal generated about €500 million for the club.

Some clubs also profited from selling players. Fenerbahçe converted Sidiqi Sharif's loan to a permanent transfer, then sold him to Premier League club Coventry. Trabzonspor sold Oğulcan Çağlayan to Fiorentina for €26 million after acquiring him for less than €10 million a year earlier; Felipe Augusto joined Zenit Saint Petersburg for €15 million after Trabzonspor acquired him for slightly less than €7 million a year ago.

Clubs also use sponsorship agreements to fund transfers. Trabzonspor officially stated that increased season ticket revenue covered Salah's contract costs, with support also coming from Turkish Airlines and Turkish electric car manufacturer Togg.

Whether this investment model is sustainable remains questionable, but Turkish clubs have been seeking different funding methods for years and currently show no signs of changing their approach. This summer's continuous series of blockbuster signings once again reflects the fierce and volatile nature of the Turkish transfer market.

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