The Turkish club announced Monday evening the arrival of the 35-year-old striker. “I’m really happy to be here,” said Mertens, quoted by his club.
“I spent nine years in Italy and felt I was ready for another challenge. I was honored to receive an offer from a team like Galatasaray,” said Mertens, greeted by hundreds of fans as soon as he arrived on Turkish soil. “It was very pleasant. I’m used to this kind of fans with those of Napoli but it was crazy to see that they waited so long in the night.”
Coming to Turkey “to succeed”, the Belgian international with 105 caps signed a one-year contract, with an option for a second season. “I signed for a year but I would like to stay longer. I am here to shine, to show my abilities on the pitch. I will give everything for this team. I am a player who always wants to score goals and win matches, and I will work hard for that.”
It will take all the offensive capacities of Dries Mertens to allow Galatasaray to raise the bar after a catastrophic 2021-2022 exercise. The ‘Cimbom’, the most successful club in the history of Turkish football with 22 coronations, finished in 13th place, the worst ranking in its history.