13.08.2026 17:10
Samsunspor President Yüksel Yıldırım evaluated Fenerbahçe's new transfer, 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku, based on age. Saying, 'I don't take men in their 30s,' Yıldırım stated, 'I don't want to be the last user of players. When you play them for 2-3 years, there is no chance to sell that player.'
Yuksel Yildirim, who joined the HT Spor live broadcast, made evaluations about the championship race in the Super Lig and the squads of the big four.
Stating that Galatasaray is ahead in terms of spending limit and squad, Yildirim said, "On paper, I used to say 'Galatasaray will be champion,' and it happened for 4 years, but this year my chance of saying that is zero."
"BESIKTAS WILL PLAY FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP"
Saying he likes Besiktas's transfer policy, Yildirim said, "I congratulate Besiktas, they are building a very good squad. If their coach also works out, the league will be enjoyable. Besiktas deserves to play for the championship. They haven't been able to do it for the last 3-4 years, I can't know the reason."
PRAISE FOR SALAH TRANSFER
Yildirim also evaluated Trabzonspor's transfer of Mohamed Salah, saying that the Egyptian star creates an important promotional opportunity for the club and the city.
Yildirim said, "They brought an incredible name, Salah. Thanks to them, they put Turkey on the world agenda. Everyone learned about Trabzon. They may have paid a lot of money, but if the city of Trabzon had spent 30 million, they would have had zero chance of getting such publicity. Spend 100 million dollars, you can't make the news in any country. These things are necessary. Sometimes not everything is about money. The promotion of the country, the city, and the club is important."
HE EXPLAINED MUSABA'S DEPARTURE
Yildirim also touched upon Anthony Musaba's departure process from Samsunspor, claiming that the player told him he was not in talks with Fenerbahce, but had previously reached an agreement. Yildirim stated that they bought Musaba for 750 thousand Euros and sent him to Fenerbahce for 5 million Euros, and that they added Yalcin, Asamo, and Elayis to the squad with the income obtained.
REMARKABLE WORDS ABOUT LUKAKU
Yuksel Yildirim's most striking statement was about Fenerbahce's new 33-year-old transfer, Romelu Lukaku. Yildirim said, "I wouldn't sign a man in his 30s. I don't want to be the last user of players. Fenerbahce brought in a 33-year-old striker. He's not a bad player, but when you play him for 2-3 years, he'll be 35-36, and there's no chance of selling this player." Pointing out that the brand power of Fenerbahce and Samsunspor in player sales is different, Yildirim said, "Fenerbahce might sell him, but Samsunspor can't. Samsunspor doesn't have that brand value. This is the reality, and sometimes reality is painful."