Yahoo Sports Kerem Aktüroğlu out, Roland Sallai in: Galatasaray’s new number 7
On September 13, the last day of the transfer window, Galatasaray announced another sensational transfer: Roland Sallai joins the club for a reported €6m following a six-year stay at German side Freiburg.
A New Contract Signed Until 2028
Welcome to Galatasaray, Roland Sallai 🟡🔴🦁 pic.twitter.com/qyVNhFhmpC
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) September 14, 2024
The Yellow-Reds, who signed a four-year contract with the 27-year-old player, have issued the player’s license. Galatasaray will pay the German team €6m across four instalments spread over four seasons for the Sallai transfer with the Hungarian player earning €2.5m annually.
His First Impression
The Hungarian footballer arrived in Istanbul. Speaking to Galatasaray TV at the airport, Sallai said: “I am happy. I believe we will do great things. Our goal is to be the league champion. I also want to play in the finals and win the Europa League. I have heard a lot about the Galatasaray fans. I cannot wait to meet them at the stadium.”
New Number 7
The new player of The Yellow-Reds, Sallai, will wear the number 7 after Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
One of one. 🥹
We bid farewell to club legend Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who's joined SL Benfica on a permanent transfer.
Thank you for great memories Kerem, we will cherish them forever! 💛❤️ pic.twitter.com/jqxWgXBpdw— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) September 3, 2024
Sallai spoke to his new team’s YouTube channel, adding: “I would like to thank our president and all the other people who contributed to my coming here. I came to a very big club. I cannot wait to meet my coach, my teammates and the fans.
“There was interest in the last months. I wanted to come back and respond to this interest. I came to the biggest club in Turkey. We have a championship goal. We also want to win the Europa League. I knew a few things about the club. I also talked to our coach. I am very happy to come here. We want to wear the fifth star on our jersey. We have an incredible fan base.”
First Hungarian Football Player in Galatasaray History
Sallai had already made a first before he even started. Galatasaray had previously included 206 foreign players from 52 different countries in their squad. This time, Cimbom transferred a Hungarian football player for the first time by adding Sallai to their squad.
First Training with the New Team
Galatasaray have started preparations for the third week postponed Trendyol Süper Lig match against Gaziantep FK. The training, which was held at Florya Metin Oktay Facilities and led by Technical Director Okan Buruk, started with a dynamic warm-up. The Yellow-Reds’ new transfer Sallai also had his first training with the team.
