Turkish striker Nadir Çiftçi, now 31 and currently at Karaman FK, has disclosed how Arsenal tried to intercept his move to Manchester City.
The striker recounted his experience in a recent interview with Soccer News, offering insights into what might have been a different journey for him and Arsenal alike.
- Nadir Çiftçi reveals ‘dream’ Arsenal attempted to hijack his move to Manchester City.
- Shared representation with Oguzhan Özyakup influenced Arsenal’s interest.
- A change in Manchester City’s ownership led to the collapse of Çiftçi’s planned move.
A glimpse into Çiftçi’s past
Years before his journeyman career took him to numerous clubs across the globe, Çiftçi was once a hot prospect for top-tier English football.
In a recent interview, the forward shared memories of his youth career, emphasising his close relationship with former Arsenal midfielder Oguzhan Özyakup, who was with Arsenal from 2008 until 2012.
Arsenal’s attempt to hijack the deal
The Turkish striker revealed, “I grew up alongside Oguzhan Özyakup, with whom I always played youth international games. We had the same agent and both had offers from English clubs.
“He went to Arsenal and I was invited for a tour of Manchester City. While I was there, Arsenal wanted to snatch me. I would get a good contract and be with ‘Ozzie’ in an apartment in London.”
“Arsenal were my dream club, so I wanted to leave Manchester City right away, but that would be rude.”
Manchester City’s persuasion
However, his decision wasn’t straightforward. “I gave them a chance and they convinced me with their plans,” he said.
At the time, Sven-Göran Eriksson, then the manager at City, wanted Çiftçi to “immediately train with the first-team”, but the club’s subsequent ownership change cancelled all transfers.
“I signed a pre-contact and was supposed to go to England six months later, but the club was taken over and all transfers were cancelled,” Çiftçi said.
Reflecting on missed opportunities
Çiftçi called the episode a “big disappointment.'”
Still, he managed a move to the Premier League later in his career when Portsmouth came calling.
A career in stats
Nadir Çiftçi’s career has been a journeyman’s tale, dotted across various clubs and bringing mixed success.
At Dundee United, he found his most productive spell, netting 33 goals and assisting 20 in 82 appearances.
He also had a reasonable stint at Genclerbirligi Ankara, scoring 12 goals and making 3 assists in 45 matches.
Samsunspor and Celtic FC offered him limited opportunities, but he still managed to score 8 and 4 goals respectively.
His time at Portsmouth was largely uneventful with just 2 goals in 22 appearances.
In the lower tiers and youth squads like NAC Breda U21 and Iskenderunspor, his contributions were modest but noticeable.
Internationally, he represented Turkey’s U19 team 7 times and scored once, while also having brief stints with the Netherlands’ youth squads.
Overall, Çiftçi’s stats paint the picture of a player who had flashes of brilliance but struggled to consistently make his mark.
Including Portsmouth, his football career has seen him play for Iskenderunspor, Karaman FK, Makedonikos, St. Johnstone, Ankaragücü, Samsunspor, C. Rizespor, Genclerbirligi, Celtic, Motherwell FC, Plymouth, Pogon Szczecin, Eskisehirspor, Dundee United, NAC Breda, and Kayserispor.
Now worth around £150k, his highest market value was €1.2m when he was with Celtic in 2016.