Besiktas has been extremely active in the transfer market this summer, replacing a large number of players ahead of their return to the EuroLeague after 13 years, where major challenges await them – a topic discussed by Ozkan Arseven, the board member responsible for basketball operations.
Besiktas replaced Monaco in the EuroLeague, which is one of the changes ahead of the 2026/27 season, but Dusan Alimpijevic’s team does not plan to be just a passing guest. The black-and-whites want to achieve big things right in their first season to make it easier to secure their stay in the elite competition.
Deals have been agreed for Scottie Wilbekin, Jaylen Nowell, DaQuan Jeffries, Mady Sissoko, Furkan Korkmaz, Metecan Birsen, Eugene Omoruyi, David DeJulius, and Wenyen Gabriel, but they do not plan to stop there.
“We will be watching an exciting Besiktas team this season. We had already built a competitive squad last season, but we couldn’t address our missing pieces during the mid-season transfer window. We couldn’t make targeted signings because the player market was very limited.
Aware of this, we prioritized these transfers at the start of the season, and in fact, we began negotiations with players even before the season ended. We believe we have made good transfers. After all, the EuroLeague is a stage where we will compete fiercely. We made our transfers with full awareness of this”, Arseven began for Bein Sports.
Gap at the shooting guard
However, he emphasized that the club has not finished signing players for this offseason. General Manager Nedim Yucel and head coach Dusan Alimpijevic are carefully monitoring the market situation and planning their next move, while Arseven has already announced that they want another shooting guard.
“However, I cannot say we have completed our transfers. We will make one final transfer, but we want to tread very carefully here. That’s because it’s crucial to finish on a strong note. For the transfers we have made so far, we watched many players together with our head coach Dusan Alimpijevic and our general manager Nedim Yucel. We currently have three players in every position. We only feel a gap at the shooting guard position. Once we complete that spot with a solid transfer, we will be able to say, ‘we are ready’.”
New title sponsorship
In recent years, Besiktas had a title sponsor, but they did not continue their cooperation with the company they worked with in the past. However, the issue of finalizing a new sponsor could be resolved in the coming period.
“We are in talks regarding a title sponsor. Our President, Mr. Serdal Adali, is personally handling this matter. However, we have not finalized it yet. For that reason, we entered this draw today as Besiktas Basketball, but we may secure a serious sponsor. It is a sponsor our president is currently negotiating with. We are waiting for their response and putting a lot of work into it. Naturally, there is a division of labor within the club. Our president manages both football and the overall club administration. He entrusted the responsibility of basketball to me. Marketing and sponsorship matters are very serious affairs. Sometimes they involve situations that go beyond our scope. Because of this, I believe our President, Mr. Serdal Adali, will wrap this up shortly”, Arseven concluded.
More movement at Besiktas is expected in the coming weeks as the club continues to reshape its roster ahead of the new season, with full updates available in the EuroLeague Transactions.
