26-year-old Turkish international Ozan Tufan has joined Premier League side Watford FC on a season-long loan from Fenerbahçe. According to press reports from England, the Premier League team has finalized the transfer of the Turkish midfielder that has been discussed for quite some time now. The English team has the option to sign the player permanently – reports speak of a transfer fee worth €7.5 million if the two parties decide to make the transfer permanent.

Ozan Tufan

Tufan joined Bursaspor at the age of 10, graduating from its youth academy in 2012. He remained with the first team for three seasons, making 42 appearances in the club’s league games and scoring three times in the process. 

In 2015, Fenerbahçe acquired the player for €7 million from Bursaspor. There, he has developed into a versatile holding midfielder who can also play as a right-back and a right-winger. During his career with the Yellow Canaries, he has played in more than 128 league games, scoring 18 times, making a name for himself in Turkey and beyond. Even the Vietnam best bookies took note of his performance on the turf.

Tufan is at his second loan spell from Fenerbahçe. His first, a season-long stint with Alanyaspor was successful, with 17 league games and two Super Cup matches. 

As an international, Tufan played with Turkey’s U-19 National Team that won the 2013 Mediterranean Cup in Mersin. The same year, he also played in the UEFA European U-19 Championship. Since 2014, he was capped more than 60 times for the senior National Team – while playing with the Crescent-Stars, he scored 9 goals, with his most recent being in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Norway back in March.

Watford

Watford F.C. is a prestigious English football club with a long history, founded more than 120 years ago. The team spent most of its recent years in the Premier League, being relegated to the Championship last year – all this in spite of its remarkable performance. Last February, Watford defeated Liverpool FC, ending its 44-match unbeaten streak. This April, in turn, Watford returned to the Premier League after just one year in the Championship, ready to take on the big names of English football once again.

Will Watford make it permanent?

Possibly. The arrival of Tufan to Watford opens up the way for current midfielder Will Hughes to leave the club. Hughes was offered a new contract but the negotiations stalled recently – at the same time, Crystal Palace may consider a bumped-up offer to lure the 26-year-old over.