Mesut Özil joins long list of veteran stars who played in Turkey

Fenerbahçe has officially announced the signing of Mesut Özil, making the German playmaker the latest veteran football star to arrive in Turkey.

Over the past several years several top players transferred to the Süper Lig at the dawn of their careers.

Roberto Carlos - Fenerbahçe

The iconic defender joined Fenerbahçe in 2007 after 11 silverware-laden years at Real Madrid, and played 65 times across three seasons. Roberto Carlos later returned to Turkey as a manager, taking helm at Sivasspor (2013-14) and Akhisarspor (2015).

Dirk Kuyt - Fenerbahçe

After six prolific years in Liverpool, Kuyt joined Fenerbahçe in 2012. The forward featured 95 times for the Istanbul club, scoring 26 goals.

Guti - Beşiktaş

Beşiktaş became the only other club in the life of Real Madrid fan favorite Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez. The Spaniard played only one full season for the Black Eagles as he was released in the first half of his second season at the club. Guti also spent a one-season stint as an assistant manager to Beşiktaş coach Şenol Güneş in 2018-19.

Wesley Sneijder - Galatasaray

Sneijder's arrival became one of the most successful transfers in recent Süper Lig history. The Dutchman, who was still in his prime, helped Galatasaray win several domestic tournaments and reach the Champions League quarterfinals, which was the best performance by a Turkish team in the last decade.

Didier Drogba - Galatasaray

The Ivory Coast striker joined the same month as Sneijder, and the two formed a formidable star duo up front. Following 1.5 seasons in Galatasaray, which saw Drogba win every domestic Turkish competition once, he returned to Chelsea.

Martin Skrtel - Fenerbahçe

Skrtel arrived in Turkey in 2016, playing for Fenerbahçe for three seasons. He departed the Canaries in August 2019 to join Italy's Atalanta, but next month returned to Turkey and signed a contract with Istanbul Başakşehir. After a major injury, his contract with Başakşehir was terminated in January 2021.

Mario Gomez - Beşiktaş

Gomez' spent only one season in Turkey, but it was a highly prolific and memorable one. The German scored 28 goals and set up further six in only 41 outings, helping Beşiktaş claim the Süper Lig title in 2015-16.

Robin van Persie - Fenerbahçe

Van Persie racked up 87 appearances for Fenerbahçe, scoring 36 goals, after joining the club in 2015. Following an injury at the beginning of his third season with the Canaries, the striker returned to his native Netherlands to play for Feyenord.

Demba Ba - Beşiktaş

Ba initially arrived in Turkey in 2014, signing a contract with Beşiktaş. He left for China after one season and has been constantly moving between Turkish and Chinese clubs in 2017-2019. Ba enjoyed a successful career in Turkey, winning the league twice and netting 57 goals for Turkish clubs across all competitions.

Raul Meireles - Fenerbahçe

The Portuguese spent the last four seasons of his career in Turkey before retiring in 2016. Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Cup in his debut season, followed by a league title in the second.

Samuel Eto'o - Antalyaspor

The legendary Cameroonian forward spent three full seasons in Turkey – 2.5 seasons with Antalyaspor and half a season at Konyaspor. Eto'o scored 50 goals during his time in the Süper Lig.

Lukas Podolski - Galatasaray

The 2014 World Cup winner joined Galatasaray in 2015 and spent two prolific seasons at the Istanbul club. He then had a three-year spell in Japan before returning to Turkey to play for Antalyaspor.

Samir Nasri - Antalyaspor

The signing of Nasri in August 2017 was a big deal for Antalyaspor and the city, but the Frenchmen's stay in southern Turkey proved to be rather short as he left after only five month. He played eight times for Antalya, scoring twice and assisting once.

Felipe Melo - Galatasaray

Melo spent four full trophy-laden season at Galatasaray, winning the league title three times and the Turkish cup and super cup twice each. He left Turkey in 2015 as the most decorated Brazilian player in Turkish domestic competitions.

Luis Nani - Fenerbahçe

Nani played in Turkey for only one season. His successful spell at Fenerbahçe earned him a return to major European football with a transfer to Spanish side Valencia.

Pepe - Beşiktaş

The renowned defender joined Beşiktaş in 2017 and had an immediate impact at the back. Pepe played an instrumental role in the Black Eagles' historic 2017/18 Champions League campaign. That season Beşiktaş became the first Turkish club to advance to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 undefeated. Pepe and Beşiktaş mutually terminated his contract in the middle of his second season.

Alvaro Negredo - Beşiktaş

The Spaniard joined Beşiktaş in 2017, but has struggled to find his goal-scoring form. The Istanbul club terminated Negredo's contract in the beginning of his second season.

Roberto Soldado - Fenerbahçe

Soldado played for Fenerbahçe for two seasons but failed to impress upfront, having had long goalless streaks. In 2019, the Turkish club decided not to renew his contract and he went back to Spain.

Robinho - Sivasspor

Robinho resurfaced in Europe in January 2018 after joining Sivasspor. His good performances in the Turkish league earned him a transfer to Istanbul Başakşehir a year later. In his second season at the club, the Brazilian helped Başakşehir win its first-ever Süper Lig title. He left the Istanbul club at the beginning of this season.