Former Premier League players currently playing in Turkey

A vast number of former Premier League players have made the switch to the Turkish Super Lig in recent years and we've taken a look at some of the individuals currently plying their trade in Turkey's top flight.

Wilfried Zaha

Club: Galatasaray

Date joined: July 2023

So long Crystal Palace’s hero and talisman, Wilfried Zaha ended his 18-year association by moving to Galatasaray on a free transfer.

Palace offered Zaha a bumper new deal, but the winger opted to take on a new challenge in Turkey, where he would score against former club Manchester United in the Champions League, finishing third in their group to reach the Europa League.

Zaha scored nine goals in his maiden Super Lig campaign, with Galatasaray going on to win the title.

Edin Dzeko

Club: Fenerbahce

Date joined: June 2023

One of his generation’s most accomplished strikers, Edin Dzeko moved to Turkey in the summer of 2023 after 16 seasons spent in Europe’s big five leagues.

Dzeko became the first player to score 50+ league goals in three of Europe’s big five leagues after scoring his 50th Serie A goal with Roma before spending two seasons with Inter where he twice won Coppa Italia and reached the 2022/23 Champions League final.

Dzeko joined Fenerbahce in June 2023, scoring 21 goals in his debut season to be the second highest goalscorer in the Super Lig.

Allan Saint-Maximin

Club: Fenerbahce

Date joined: July 2024

After leaving Newcastle United to move to the Saudi Pro League, Allan Saint-Maximin now plies his trade in Turkey having moved in the summer to join Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce.

Andros Townsend

Club: Antalyaspor

Date joined: September 2024

After an injury-hit spell with Everton, Andros Townsend moved to Luton Town for their season in the Premier League, and despite signing a new contract with the club in January and dropping down to the Championship with the Hatters, Townsend made the move abroad in the summer, signing for Antalyaspor on a two-year deal.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Club: Besiktas

Date joined: August 2023

After an injury-hit five-and-a-half years with Liverpool, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved to Besikas on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

Unfortunately, however, the former Arsenal man’s injury woes have persisted, with Oxlade-Chamberlain suffering a thigh injury that sidelined him for three months, limiting him to 20 league appearances in his maiden season, nine of which came from the bench.

Jonjo Shelvey

Club: Eyupspor

Date joined: August 2024

After falling out of favour at Newcastle, Jonjo Shelvey moved to Nottingham Forest in January 2023, but having failed to make an impact and reportedly falling out with manager Steve Cooper, moved to Caykur Rizespor on a free transfer, where he made 32 appearances, scoring three goals and laying on six assists.

Shelvey would only spend a year at the club, however, moving to Eyupspor in the summer of 2024.

Michy Batshuayi

Club: Galatasaray

Date joined: July 2024

A promising forward, Michy Batshuayi’s 21-goal season with Standard Liege earned him a move to Marseille, where he’d score 17 goals in his second term, subsequently earning a big-money move to Chelsea for more than £30m.

A series of unsuccessful loan moves to Dortmund, Valencia and Crystal Palace followed before a solid season with Besiktas, scoring 14 goals.

The spell in Turkey brought about a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge, with Fenerbahce signing the Belgian.

Batshuayi then made the controversial move to switch from Fenerbahce to Galatasaray on a free transfer when his contract expired, becoming the 11th player to play for each of the big three clubs in Turkey.

Davinson Sanchez

Club: Galatasaray

Date joined: July 2022

Tottenham broke their transfer record to sign Davinson Sanchez from Ajax for around £42m, but after a mixed – but ultimately underwhelming – six years in North London, the Colombian moved to Turkey, joining Galatasaray from around £8m.

Although he won a first league title, Sanchez was limited to 23 appearances in his debut season owing to injury issues.

Hakim Ziyech

Club: Galatasaray

Date joined: July 2023

A part of Ajax’s lauded 2019 class that were seconds away from reaching a Champions League final, big things were expected of Hakim Ziyech when he moved to Chelsea two summers later.

Playing under Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and then Lampard again, Ziyech never quite found a place for himself in West London, and was loaned out to Galatasaray for the 2023/24 season.

Despite an injury-hit season that was also interrupted by the Africa Cup of Nations, Ziyech scored six goals and registered three assists from 18 appearances last season, and was signed on a permanent basis in the summer.

Fred

Club: Fenerbahce

Date joined: August 2023

After more than 200 appearances for Manchester United, Fred moved to Turkey, signing a four-year deal with Fenerbahce.

Struggling with a couple of injuries throughout his debut campaign limited the Brazilian’s availability, but when fit, Fred has played a key part in Fenerbahce’s midfield.

Lucas Torreira

Club: Galatasaray

Date joined: August 2022

Lucas Torreira was signed for around £26m in order to add steel to the Arsenal midfield, but failed to make a significant impact at the Emirates Stadium, being loaned out following the arrival of Mikel Arteta to Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina, before securing a permanent move away.

Torreira joined Galatasaray for around £5m, where he made 66 league appearances in his first two seasons there, and has two Super Lig winners’ medals to his name.