Turkey

Icardi, Torreira, Mata: Galatasaray saves big on star signings

Before the close of the summer transfer season the Turkish giants executed some key deals during the offseason that may take them back to the top of European soccer.

Updated on
September 09, 2022 11:37AM EDT

**© Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images**Fernando Muslera of Galatasaray

At one time Galatasaray was one of the teams every big European club wanted to avoid in the UEFA Champions League. The Hell, as the club’s stadium is known as, is a spectacle to behold.

Galatasaray is the biggest club in Turkey, but last season had a year to forget, finishing 13th in the league, round of 16 in the Europa League, and fifth round of the Turkish cup. The team went through two coaches and are now coached by Okan Buruk.

With the signings of Mauro Icardi, Haris Seferovic, Juan Mata, Dries Mertens, Lucas Torreira, and Sérgio Oliveira the club spent less on 13 players than some clubs do on one. Here is how much Galatasaray saved during the transfer market.

Galatasaray 2022 summer spending

Entering this season according to Transfermarkt Galatasaray have spent 27 million euros and 15.6 million in sales for a total spend of just 11.4 million euros.

An amazing feat considering the club signed Icardi on a free loan, Mata on a free, and Lucas Torreira and Yusuf Demir for 6 million euros each.

Mauro Icardi of Paris Saint-Germain (Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images)

By far the biggest name is Mauro Icardi who comes from PSG after two difficult seasons in Ligue 1 where he went down the pecking order at striker and had a lot of personal issues with his agent/wife Wanda Nara.

Kelvin Loyola

Kelvin Loyola is a seasoned content writer and journalist at Bolavip, boasting over 15 years of experience in sports journalism and marketing. He has covered a wide array of sports including the USMNT, MLS, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and Liga MX, as well as the NBA, MLB, NHL, and various entertainment topics. Prior to his journalism and marketing career, Kelvin worked in post-production, contributing to numerous movie, television, and digital projects. He also brings expertise in project management, social media, and web development. A graduate of Queens College with a degree in Media Studies, Kelvin is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. His passions extend beyond his career to include soccer, marketing, photography, surfing, and pop culture, particularly comics.