25.02.2025 19:10
In Fenerbahçe, the 19-year-old center-back Yusuf Akçiçek, whom head coach Jose Mourinho is particularly fond of, started in the starting eleven for the Galatasaray derby and stayed on the field for 90 minutes, impressing with his performance. Tugay Kerimoğlu commented on Yusuf, who is on Bayern Munich's radar and showcased his skills to scouts from major clubs during the big match, saying, "If he continues like this, it looks like he has a clear path to Europe."
With the arrival of head coach Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, 19-year-old Yusuf Akçiçek, who started to get playing time in the first team and made good use of this opportunity, started in the starting eleven for the Galatasaray derby and stayed on the field for 90 minutes. The young center-back, who has drawn attention with his performance throughout the season, continued to impress in the derby, and a path to Europe seems to be opening up for him.
HE BECAME THE STAR OF THE DERBY
19-year-old center-back Yusuf Akçiçek, wearing the Fenerbahçe jersey, started in the starting eleven against Galatasaray. The young defender caught attention with his performance in defense against Galatasaray. Yusuf Akçiçek, who stood out with his harmony with Milan Skriniar, was one of the standout players for Fenerbahçe in the derby.
Yusuf Akçiçek's derby statistics against Galatasaray are as follows;
- Clearances: 9
- Interceptions: 1
- Tackles: 2
- Duels: 4/8
- Aerial Duels: 1/3
- Fouls Committed: 2
"A PATH TO EUROPE SEEMS TO BE OPENING"
Evaluating the derby, İlker Yağcıoğlu stated, "Young Yusuf Akçiçek dazzled by playing flawlessly in such a high-pressure match." Tugay Kerimoğlu commented on the young center-back, saying, "If Yusuf Akçiçek continues like this, it seems he has a clear path to Europe."
SCOUTS FLOCKED TO THE DERBY FOR HIM
19-year-old center-back Yusuf Akçiçek, who has recently stood out with Fenerbahçe, is among the prominent names in the derby. Scouts from teams in the Netherlands, France, Italy, and the Premier League watched the 19-year-old player during the Galatasaray match. Yusuf is also on the radar of Europe's top clubs. The German team Bayern Munich is closely monitoring Yusuf's development. Many European clubs, besides Munich, have also added the 19-year-old center-back to their list after watching him from the stands during the match against Anderlecht in Belgium.
MOURINHO PRAISED HIM AFTER THE DERBY
Fenerbahçe's head coach Jose Mourinho, after the derby, said about his student, "I have to thank him for his performance. If he hadn't performed well, you would have killed me. I know what happens when you put an 18-year-old player in such a match. Yusuf is not perfect, but he will be. I can't compare him to Varane right now because Varane has won a lot. I had him play in the Champions League at this age. I have to thank the referee because in the situation I mentioned, everyone on the other bench was jumping around like monkeys. Yusuf is a top-level player. Montella has a lot of good players, but I'm sure he is also very happy with his performance," he said.
REJECTION OF BRENTFORD'S OFFICIAL OFFER
On the other hand, the English Premier League team Brentford, which previously transferred Yunus Emre Konak from Sivasspor, recently made an official offer to Fenerbahçe for Yusuf Akçiçek. The English team knocked on Fenerbahçe's door with a €6 million offer. The yellow-blue team immediately rejected this offer. The management decided that Yusuf Akçiçek should spend at least one more year with Jose Mourinho and listen to offers after he has fully developed.
SEASON PERFORMANCE
This season, Yusuf Akçiçek has played 13 matches in all competitions wearing the Fenerbahçe jersey. The young center-back, whom head coach Jose Mourinho is very protective of, has spent 715 minutes on the field in these matches. The 19-year-old player has also contributed with 2 goals and 1 assist in these matches. After leaving the Galatasaray youth academy, Yusuf signed with Fenerbahçe and has a contract with the team until 2028.