The lowdown on Ferdi Kadioglu

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The Turkey international joined us on a four-year deal from Fenerbahce.

Richie Mills

2024-09-11T06:00+01:00

New Albion signing Ferdi Kadioglu is an attack-minded, versatile player who is "perfectly" suited for the Premier League.

That is according to Turkish football journalist, Kaan Bayazit, who feels the 24-year-old is an ideal recruit for Fabian Hurzeler's team after signing a four-year deal at the Amex in August.

"I think Ferdi is perfectly cut out for the Premier League as he has a fantastic mentality and work ethic. He has had to face adversity at Fenerbahçe in his first few years as he was given very little opportunities relative to his ability and talent," said Bayazit.

"He had to transform both his body and his playing style to finally get minutes, but he never gave up and never thought about throwing in the towel. Instead, he stayed the course, worked so hard, and reached the pinnacle of Turkish football.

Brighton & Hove Albion v Crawley Town Carabao Cup 2RD 27AUG24 PH.068

"I am certain he can continue to do so in the Premier League and I think Brighton is the perfect fit for him as a gutsy underdog team that wants to play attacking football - and does it brilliantly."

The right-footed Kadioglu, who was born in the Netherlands to a Turkish father and a Dutch-Canadian mother, began his career at NEC Nijmegen before switching to the Turkish giants in 2018.

The now Turkey international, who played for the Dutch at youth level before switching his international allegiance in 2022, is predominantly a full-back, but he is adept as a winger and an attacking midfielder, too.

Fellow Turkish football expert Yağız Sabuncuoğlu said, “Kadioglu is a ball-carrying full-back, who runs with the ball when he finds space, aiming to disrupt the opposition's counter-attacking mechanism.

MFT Training Session 29AUG24 PH 0097 (1)

“He is a hardworking, versatile player who started as an attacking midfielder, then moved to the wings, then he was more central, before evolving into a full-back. He has not lost his attacking capabilities, though.”

Bayazit added, “He is an excellent passer and shooter of the ball with good dribbling skills. He isn’t your typical wing-back who likes to swing in crosses, although he can put in decent deliveries. He is adept at through-balls and one-twos.”

Kadioglu impressed during Turkey’s run to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and his club’s journey to the last eight of the Europa Conference League last season.

However, the 5ft 9in player, who scored 18 goals and notched 22 assists in 204 appearances for Fenerbahce between 2018-2024, is not quite the finished article.

Brighton & Hove Albion v Crawley Town Carabao Cup 2RD 27AUG24 PH.067

“Sometimes he can be targeted with aerial balls from the opposite flank. He also sometimes forces a shot in positions where he should look for another option,” said Sabuncuoğlu.

Bayazit added, “While he has developed into an excellent wing-back, attacking comes more naturally to him than defending. He is relentless but the natural defensive habits you learn at a very young age aren’t quite there – but he is improving.”

Incidentally, Kadioglu’s exit will be keenly felt by Fenerbahce fans. He led them to a Turkish Cup triumph in 2023, represented them in Europe, and became one of their brightest stars.

And Sabuncuoğlu feels under Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler’s tutelage, he is going to get even better.

“Fenerbahce fans will remember Kadioglu with longing, for his devotion to the shirt and the crest, and his desire for continuous improvement,” he said.

“I think he will improve even more with a coach like Hurzeler, whose teams are lethal with sharp, passing attacks. He will be a great option for the manager and improve their attack even more.”

Bayazit added, “While he isn’t a Fenerbahce academy product, he’ll still be seen and remembered as one of their own. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Fenerbahce fans in the stands at the Amex.”