The Turkish Super Lig is one of the most competitive and unpredictable leagues in world football. But, two strikers that made their move to Turkey had been written off by experts and classed as ‘flops’. However, these two strikers have both been able to rediscover their golden touch for their new clubs this season, and that has come as a huge benefit for the teams that they are playing for.
When Radamel Falcao and Alexander Sorloth made their decisions to move to Turkey in the summer of 2019, fans around the world saw it as somewhat of a gamble. However, it’s fair to say that these players’ gamble have paid off with maximum reward, and there is no doubting that they still have something to give.
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao’s career has been a well-documented one, as he first burst onto the scene with FC Porto in the 2009-10 season. He quickly became an integral part of their side as he scored a remarkable 25 goals in 28 games. He continued his excellent form the following season by scored 16 goals, and that led to him making a move to Atletico Madrid for a fee of £40 million. His success in Spain was immediate as he scored 24 goals in his debut campaign. He improved on that tally in the following season as he scored 28 goals.
Falcao then made the decision to sign for newly promoted AS Monaco in Ligue 1. His goal tallies began to drop off, and after two lacklustre seasons in the Premier League with Manchester United and then Chelsea, fans began to wonder whether his best days were behind him. His final season in France saw him score an improved tally of 15, and that led to Galatasaray making their huge move for him. He was greeted to the club by 25,000 adoring fans, and he has quickly repaid them for their warm welcome with excellent performances on the pitch. So far this season, he has scored nine goals, and that has helped Galatasaray remain in the hunt for a second consecutive league title.
Alexander Sorloth
No football fan could have foreseen the success that Alexander Sorloth would have achieved this season with Trabzonspor. The 24-year-old had been written off by many, as they believed that he was an over-hyped striker that Crystal Palace paid over the odds to bring in. The Eagles signed Sorloth for a fee of £9 million, and he only managed to score one goal for the club before being loaned out to Gent.
That loan spell for the second half of the 2018-19 season was far from a success, but Trabzonspor ultimately decided that they could see something in his that would add to their side. That belief would ring true, as Sorloth has gone on to score 19 goals in 26 league games this season. In all competitions, the Norwegian has scored 25 goals in 39 games; that is only one fewer than the total number of goals that Crystal Palace have scored all season in the Premier League. His goals mean that Trabzonspor hold a slender lead at the top of the league, but as long as he keeps scoring, they will have an excellent chance of winning a first league title in 36 years.
