Former Borussia Dortmund player Salih Ozcan is reportedly all set to sign for Turkish giants Besiktas as a free agent as the he's expected to arrive in Istanbul tonight to complete the transfer.
Ozcan left Dortmund at the end of 2025-26 season following an injury-riddled campaign with both parties mutually agreeing not to extend his contract beyond this year.
The 28-year-old was officially available in the market as a free agent from 1 July onwards after his BVB terms expired the previous day.
Besiktas have now confirmed a preliminary agreement with Ozcan, who will undergo a medical test on Thursday, 9 July before signing a three-plus-one-year contract with an annual net salary of 2 million euros.
Following a disappointing fourth-placed finish in the Super Lig last term, Besiktas head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst has reportedly sought to reinforce the midfield with a tactically intelligent player with proven experience and Ozcan fits the ball perfectly.
After four years at Dortmund (one half of which he spent on loan at VfL Wolfsburg), the Turkish international is set for a fresh challenge at the prime of his career. And interestingly, this will be his first stint in the country he represents internationally.
Born in Cologne, Germany, Ozcan played for various German youth sides but switched allegiance to the Turks, where his family is from, in March 2022 when he received a call-up from then Turkish coach Stefan Kuntz.
Since then, Ozcan has earned 31 caps for the Crescent-Stars and was also a part of their 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, making two appearances in the group stages against Australia and the United States.
Ozcan came through the ranks at FC Koln's youth side before breaking into their senior team in 2016. Following 128 appearances in all competitions across a six-year spell, he continued his development at Borussia Dortmund after a meager €5 million transfer.
But the player was never a fixture in their startling lineup, drifting in and out of the side as Ozcan failed to nail down a berth in Dortmund's XI. It all came to a head last season when Niko Kovac deemed him surplus to his requirements, giving the midfielder just 73 minutes of action across 11 games in the league.
He was given a farewell ahead of Borussia Dortmund's final league game of the 2025-26 season at Signal Iduna Park on 9 May along with other departees, Julian Brandt and Niklas Sule.
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