Yusuf Akçiçek is one of the rising stars of Turkish football and his exploits at Fenerbahçe earned him a monumental market value upgrade in the recent Süper Lig update. The 19-year-old progressed through the academy of Galatasaray before joining their fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in 2019. Akçiçek made his professional debut against Ludogorets in the Europa Conference League in November 2023 but he has truly flourished this season to become a first-team player. The powerful centre-back has been entrusted by José Mourinho and has made 15 appearances in all competitions with his first goal arriving against Anderlecht in the Europa League.
Akçiçek’s performances have caught the attention of major European clubs and Mourinho drew comparisons to Real Madrid legend Raphael Varane after Fenerbahce’s 0-0 draw with Galatasaray. “I don't want to compare him to Rapha Varane because he has won four Champions Leagues, World Cup and won everything,” said Mourinho. “But I had Rapha Varane when he was 18 and I was not wrong. And I am not wrong with this kid. (He has a) big personality and is very confident.”
Yusuf Akçiçek’s soaring market value
Akçiçek earned his first market value of €50k in November 2023 as a 17-year-old and that rose €150k in October 2024. But the Fenerbahce starlet’s valuation skyrocketed by €5.35 million in March’s Super Lig update to €5.5m. It was a reward for Akçiçek standout performances and he’s also on the verge of making his senior Turkiye debut after being called up for the Nations League double header against Hungary. Akçiçek is now the fourth most valuable U21 player in Turkiye and he had the biggest market value upgrade of any Super Lig player during the update.
Lara Karacan, Transfermarkt’s Super Lig expert, said: “Akçiçek is a rising talent of Turkish football, who earned high praise from Mourinho. The injury problems at Fenerbahçe gave Yusuf valuable playing time and he impressed with consistently strong performances in key games. Akçiçek also proved in the heated derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe that he can perform even under immense pressure. His rapid rise has not gone unnoticed by the top clubs - scouts from Manchester United and Tottenham have already watched him live. Historically, his market value has seen a percentage increase that has never been seen before at Fenerbahçe."
Who wants to sign Yusuf Akçiçek?