Sydney FC added more creativity to their squad on Deadline Day, announcing the signing of German-born Turkish attacking midfielder Ahmet Arslan.
The 31-year-old joins the Sky Blues from Bundesliga 3. club RW Essen on a deal until the end of the season with the option to extend for a further year.
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Arslan has been prolific during his time playing in Germany’s lower divisions, registering 53 goals and 24 assists in the space of 128 matches, underlining his status as a forward who consistently delivers end product.
The move to bring Arslan into the Sky Blues squad follows on from their Deadline Day capture of Socceroos forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, who joined on loan from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell.
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“I’m very proud to sign for Sydney FC,” said Arslan after putting pen-to-paper on his deal with the club.
“This is a club with a winning mentality, strong Members, and clear ambitions to compete for trophies.
“My role is simple — I want to score and create goals, help the team in every attacking moment, and bring success.
“This is a very open league and we have a lot of quality at Sydney FC, I’m excited by the challenge.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the title push and giving our Members plenty to celebrate.”
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The attacking midfielder arrives in Sydney on Thursday and along with Stamatelopoulos, is set to be included in the Sky Blues squad for this weekend’s clash with Adelaide United.
“Ahmet is a natural goalscorer — that’s the first thing that stands out when you analyse his game,” said Sydney FC boss Ufuk Talay.
“He has scored consistently wherever he has played, whether leading the line or operating slightly deeper.
“He is composed in the box and has the technical quality to finish chances and create them for others.
“Beyond the numbers, he brings intelligence, experience, and a real attacking presence, as well as being a true leader who has captained RW Essen.
“He’s the type of player defenders don’t enjoy playing against, and we believe he will be a major threat in this league.
“This is not the first time we have tried to bring Ahmet to Sydney FC but such is his importance, RW Essen were reluctant to let him leave.”
