Aston Villa summer arrival Yasin Ozcan joins Anderlecht on loan with an option

New York Times

2 days ago

Aston Villa defender Yasin Ozcan has joined Anderlecht on a season-long loan with an option to buy, just a month after arriving at Villa Park.
Villa signed Ozcan, 19, from Turkish club Kasimpasa on a pre-contract agreement in February and he joined up with Unai Emery's squad on July 1, having agreed a long-term deal until 20230.
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The Athletic reported back in January that the transfer was worth €7million (£5.83m; $7.22m) upfront, with a further €1m in possible add-ons.
But a month later, Ozcan has signed on loan for Anderlecht, and he could leave Villa without making a single competitive appearance for Emery's side – if the Belgian club take up their option to make the move permanent in summer 2026.
Ozcan made his professional debut aged 16 in 2022, coming on as a substitute in Kasimpasa's 4-0 defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir. He made 34 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig last season, scoring once, and made his debut for the Turkish national team in June.
Analysis
Ozcan was scouted by Villa's recruitment team, possessing the hallmarks of a modern day centre back who can adapt within different formations.
He can also play left back and has been capped by Turkey. So, in theory, if he was not going form a part of Unai Emery's immediate plans, then a loan was always likely.
The greater interest, though, is that Anderlecht have an option to buy. Considering Ozcan only joined a month ago, this is representative of Villa attempting to flip young, cheap players quickly and for profit, in turn assisting with PSR compliance.