FM21 Turkish Süper Lig Players Who Will Make a Difference

If you're looking for players who will make a difference in the Turkish Süper Lig in Football Manager 2021, you've come to the right place! We have put together the talent you need for success at Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and clubs outside Istanbul in FM 21. Here's our list of low-fee, high-potential players picked from every position.

I have just reached the end of my second season on my FM 21 journey with Hatayspor. I spent the first season in a relegation battle and managed to stay up. In the second season I finished exactly where I was aiming for, a mid-table finish in 9th place. Over these two seasons I put together a list of players who joined my squad, or whom I wanted but couldn't agree terms with and who went on to perform elsewhere, all of whom have one thing in common: you won't need to pay a big transfer fee, and they'll do a job for you in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Without further ado, let's get into the list;

FM 21 Defenders (Centre-Backs, Right-Backs and Left-Backs)

Atakan Çankaya

Atakan Çankaya is a talent most of us don't follow and could easily overlook. Honestly, I didn't find him through deep scouting either; he turned up right when I needed him, and I discovered him after being forced to play him at centre-back following injuries in my squad. I signed him from Ankaragücü as a free transfer at the start of 2021/2022, and within a season he made visible progress, growing his potential from 3 stars to 4 stars. The screenshot I've shared may catch him in an unlucky spell, but overall he's a player who always shows great dedication in training and adapts quickly to new instructions given in individual sessions. If you're managing a mid-table side or looking for a domestic alternative, don't think twice about adding Atakan to your squad by the end of your first season. Since his weak foot isn't good enough, you can only use him as a right centre-back, but he slots in comfortably in a "Central Defender (Defend)" setup.

Majid Hosseini

You might be a bit surprised to see this name, but I want to introduce you to Majid Hosseini, hands down the best centre-back in the Turkish league. A talented centre-back we know from Trabzonspor, he's a cut above the league thanks especially to his mental and physical strength. His contract expired in 2020/2021, and in my save Mainz 05 signed him for free, which is when he caught my eye. He didn't want to join me because of the information I'll share shortly about Sofiane Alakouch, and honestly, even if I'd spotted him sooner it wouldn't have changed much. Whether or not you need a centre-back, you should sign Majid Hosseini and make the most of him.

Mitch Clark

I wanted to add Mitch Clark to this list, a player with huge potential for the Turkish league and a real utility man who can play in pretty much every defensive position. The Welsh talent, only 23 years old, became my squad's indispensable joker in his first season thanks to his rising training performances and hard-working nature. Clark is naturally a right-back, and I originally signed him as an alternative to Popov, thinking of him as an investment for the future as well. But after a string of injuries and dips in form at left-back, I switched him there and got performances well beyond what I expected. I set up his training as a left-back, played him in an "Inverted Full-Back (Automatic)" role in matches, and he adapted to his new position quickly and performed at a high level. I signed him from Leicester City for just £175B at the start of the 2021/2022 season, and I'd recommend adding him to your squad if you're short on full-backs.

Sofiane Alakouch

I wanted to share a player I chased hard for a whole season but could never land. When you're battling relegation in the lower half of the table or managing a very low-profile club, you'll often find plenty of players turn you down because you don't match their career ambitions. As you can imagine, being at Hatayspor, this happened to me many times, and I'll list a few of the ones I liked best and who can produce great results in the Turkish league. Among my favorites, Sofiane Alakouch might be one of the most talented right-backs in the whole game, not just the Turkish league. He's an all-round full-back, and with a build well suited to the modern style of play, he can offer you a lot by overlapping down the flank and whipping in crosses. The talented full-back starts the game at Nimes, and in my save he transferred to Newcastle United for £6M at the start of the 2022/2023 season. My message here is: if you need a right-back and Sofiane wants to join you, sign him as soon as possible, and whether you keep him and use him on the pitch or develop him and sell him above what you paid, the choice is yours.

Junior Sambia

Junior Sambia is also a right-back well suited to the Turkish league, with room to develop and a strong physique. A player who's a fixture in most silver squads with his black-silver card in FIFA 21, Sambia can comfortably be used by any mid-table club. Currently at Montpellier, he starts the game on the transfer list and can be had for a fairly modest fee if you need him. For the reasons I mentioned above, he didn't want to play for my club, so I signed Clark instead. But if he chooses you, he's the kind of player you can sign with your eyes closed.

FM 21 Midfielders (Central Midfielders, Right and Left Wingers)

Adil Aouchiche

If you're looking for a promising player for your midfield, Adil Aouchiche is exactly for you. The French player starts the first season wearing the Saint-Étienne shirt. He has, or will grow into, every quality you'd want from an attack-minded central midfielder. Thanks especially to his agility and physical attributes, he can comfortably contribute at both ends of the pitch from central midfield, so you should sign Adil from the first season before his price climbs too high, otherwise by the time you reach the third season his average sale price will be around £90M. If you're financially comfortable and can afford him, don't think twice, buy Adil. You can then develop him further as an investment in the future by loaning him out to other clubs for a season or two and make big money off this special player.

Salih Özcan

This young star, who I have been persistently trying to sign since my first season at Hatayspor without ever managing to get him, has the potential to shoot up in value like Bitcoin in the later years of the game. Salih Özcan, who you can use anywhere across central midfield, can be signed for a reasonable fee at the start of the game and used comfortably in later seasons to meet the homegrown player quota. If you can't afford him financially or can't agree terms with F.C. Köln, you can sign him on loan and widen your midfield options.

Ömer Beyaz

It's genuinely hard to understand how Fenerbahçe let this player slip through their fingers in real life and made so many midfield signings while Ömer Beyaz was right there. The Turkish prospect, who FM 21's editors consider one of the biggest future stars, catches the eye as much for his performances in matches as for his development. Sampdoria signed him for free in his second year, and I loaned him from them for a season and got great value out of him as an "attacking midfielder". The goals he scored and the performances he put in were genuinely worth watching. If you can't sign him from the free agent market at the start of the game, you can loan him from whichever club he's at and later add him to your squad for around £9M. With the homegrown player quota only increasing as the seasons go on, you shouldn't let a domestic talent like this slip away.

Marvin Obuz

Marvin Obuz, a German wonderkid of Turkish descent, was the first loan signing I made when I took over at Hatayspor. Even though the board criticized me at the time for the wage I offered him, his performances on the pitch later made him one of my best signings of that season. Marvin starts the game at 18 years old, and I'd particularly recommend using him on the left flank as an "Inverted Winger". Even though his stats start out fairly average, his flowing dribbles and unexpected shots will surprise you a lot. If your finances are healthy and Marvin wants to join you, you should absolutely add him to your squad with future seasons in mind. You can sign him for around £3-4M, and since he's of Turkish descent, he won't count against your foreign player quota either, so he's valuable in every sense.

Note: definitely keep a close eye on FC Köln, they have some incredible young talents in their squad.

Janis Antiste

I discovered him at the start of this season and wanted to share him with you right away. As a winger with incredible dribbling and finishing, you can also comfortably use Janis Antiste up front. Toulouse FC command a very high price for him by the third year. If you're in your first season and can afford him financially, sign him for your squad without a second thought. He's a genuinely incredible wonderkid, and it's very likely you'll make at least £50M off him in later years (possibly a lot more).

FM 21 Forwards (Creative, Pressing and Target Forwards)

Sam Lammers

The player transfers from PSV to Atalanta for £10M in his first year, and in my save he moves on to AZ a year later for £2.9M. This player can meet your striker needs directly; he's close to his most productive years while still having plenty of room to develop. I could never sign Sam Lammers in my second season despite all my efforts, but anyone looking for a striker for a "Complete Forward" role should absolutely add him to their squad!

Janni Serra

Next up is Janni Serra, one of my biggest regrets in the game. I discovered him when he left Holstein Keil on a free transfer in the 2020/2021 season, but I couldn't complete the signing because I didn't offer him the monthly wage he wanted. After failing to agree with me and moving to Sivasspor instead, he became one of the league's top scorers in his very first season there. Serra, whose physical capacity is genuinely incredible, is only 23, and if you work on his finishing in training and develop him, there's no reason he can't become one of the best strikers in years to come in a "Target Forward" role.

Khouma Babacar

Khouma Babacar, whom we know from the Turkish league, starts the game on a two-season loan at Alanyaspor. After those two seasons his contract with Sassuolo expires, and despite huge efforts I couldn't land him for Hatayspor, and he ended up moving to Rennes instead. Between his attributes, being at his most productive age, and the performances I have seen him put in in our league, he's a "Deep-Lying Forward" you should put at the very top of your transfer list if you get the chance. And he's free!

Kevin Lasagna

Lasagna, who FIFA players know for his blistering pace, brings similarly matched attributes to FM 21. Kevin Lasagna starts the first season on loan at Verona, spends two seasons at Verona, and then returns to Udinese if they don't trigger the buy option. He ticks every box for a "Pressing Forward" role, is 29 years old, and is at his peak. I'm currently in transfer talks for him myself, and he can be wrapped up for around £3-4M; once you sign him, he can take your attacking line up a notch or two.

Ahmet Şahin

I stumbled across Ahmet Şahin by chance, signed him from İnegölspor as a free transfer in my first season, and sent him out on loan for two seasons to keep developing. Beyond the progress he's already shown, he has the potential to be one of the league's best strikers by around seasons 4 and 5, and I'll start giving him minutes in my squad from this season onward. I can safely say he's one of the best wonderkids you can pick up from the domestic player pool for your forward line.

Check out TACTICS that will give big teams trouble in FM 21!

FM 22 Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş Transfer Review

• Click here for our review of Fenerbahçe's new season transfers!
• Click here for our review of Beşiktaş's new season transfers!
• Click here for our review of Galatasaray's new season transfers!

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