Italian football has fully embraced Turkish players as stars such as Hakan Calhanoglu, Cengiz Under and Merih Demiral ply their trade in the Serie A.
Turkey has become a hotbed for talented players waiting to be transferred to Italy’s top flight, the Serie A.
It’s no surprise given the average Turkish player’s technical abilities would be a solid fit for any Italian football club due to their emphasis on tactics.
Football aside, the two countries share a lot of similarities in terms of culture and mentality. That also plays a role in why Turkish players tend to favour a move to Italian football before anywhere else.
At the moment, there are five Turkish internationals currently playing in the Italian top flight; Hakan Calhanoglu at AC Milan, Cengiz Under & Mert Cetin at AS Roma, Mert Muldur at Sassuolo and recently injured Merih Demiral at Juventus.
With the exception of Muldur who is only 20-years-old, every player has established themselves as a first team player — an impressive feat for players making the jump from Turkey to one of the top-rated leagues in world, the Serie A.
Calhanoglu, for instance, has been at the heart of the AC Milan side this season currently pushing for a European football qualification spot.
The versatile attacking midfielder has made 18 appearances for AC Milan so far and will feature again as his side takes on Brescia on January 24, Friday evening.
AS Roma’s highly-rated Cengiz Under, on the other hand, will battle with eternal rivals Lazio in the Rome derby at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The young forward and his teammates are slight underdogs with odds of 2.80 (9/5) against an in-form Lazio side who has lost only twice this season.
Lazio are the favourite with odds of 2.40 (7/5), according to many bookies.
Their upcoming duel will not disappoint and the odds presented offer a good opportunity for those seeking a positive return. Check out the following link for the most up-to-date offers from the top bookmakers from around the world and their latest bonuses.
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In addition to the aforementioned players, there have also been others who have either played for or been subjected to transfer bids from Italian clubs with the most recent being Turkish international and former Galatasaray forward Sinan Gumus.
The 26-year-old returned to the Super Lig with Antalyaspor on a short-term loan until the end of the current season.
Age seems to be of irrelevance when it comes to Italian football as even Besiktas forward Burak Yilmaz was heavily linked with clubs in Italy in the past.
If this is a sign of things to come then it would not be a surprise to see even more Turkish players transferring to Italy and donning the shirts of the likes of Inter, Fiorentina, and Lazio in the near future.