23.06.2026 09:10
In the World Cup, our National Football Team was eliminated without scoring a goal, bringing the striker shortage back to the agenda. According to claims, the Turkish Football Federation is working to bring a naturalized striker to the national team. One of the prominent names is Rhian Brewster, who has a Turkish Cypriot mother.
The early elimination of our National Men's Football Team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing 2-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Paraguay has reopened discussions on squad restructuring.
The Crescent-Star team failed to score in both matches, and the lack of a striker has become one of the most talked-about topics in the football community.
"MONTELLA COMPLAINS ABOUT THE STRIKER"
In a statement, Hürriyet Sports Editor Mehmet Arslan claimed that head coach Vincenzo Montella is not satisfied with the forward line.
Arslan said, "Montella has serious complaints about the striker position. He believes he cannot find a striker in Turkey at the level he wants after Cenk Tosun. He also does not consider Deniz Gül sufficient."
ALLEGATION OF TFF'S NATURALIZATION FORMULA
According to Mehmet Arslan's statements, the Turkish Football Federation is working on a different formula to solve this problem. Arslan said, "A naturalization model could be pursued. There is a possibility that we might see a naturalized striker in the national team jersey during the European Championship qualifiers. A black forward is likely being prepared."
RHIAN BREWSTER COMES TO MIND
Following these statements, the first name that came to mind in the football community was Rhian Brewster. The possibility of Brewster, who had previously been on the agenda during Stefan Kuntz's tenure, playing for the Turkish National Team had been discussed for a long time.
HE MAY CHOOSE TURKEY
Born in 2000 to a Turkish Cypriot mother, Rhian Brewster's father is of Barbadian origin. The striker, who was born in England, has never played for the England senior national team, so he is eligible to play for Turkey. Brewster, who came through the Chelsea academy and also played for Liverpool, transferred to Sheffield United in 2020.
EYES ON TFF
While no official statement has been made by the Turkish Football Federation on the matter, the naturalized striker allegation has caused widespread debate in the football agenda. The path to be taken to solve the national team's scoring problem will become clear in the coming period.