Sydney FC has completed the signing of German-born Turkish attacking midfielder Ahmet Arslan from Bundesliga 3. club RW Essen.
Arslan is one of the competition’s most consistent goal contributors with an exceptional instinct in front of goal, having won the league’s golden boot three seasons ago.
The 31-year old plays mainly in an attacking midfield role, where he has consistently created goalscoring opportunities for team-mates.
Over the last three and a half seasons in Germany’s ultra-competitive second and third divisions Arslan has produced a remarkable return of 53 goals and 24 assists in just 128 matches, underlining his status as a forward who consistently delivers end product.
Sydney FC Head Coach Ufuk Talay believes the signing adds more proven firepower to his squad, following yesterday’s signing of centre forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.
Both will be available for selection for Saturday night’s big clash with Adelaide United at Allianz Stadium.
“Ahmet is a natural goalscorer — that’s the first thing that stands out when you analyse his game,” Talay said.
“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.”
Arslan said Sydney FC’s ambition and attacking philosophy made the decision to join the club an easy one.
“I’m very proud to sign for Sydney FC. This is a club with a winning mentality, strong Members, and clear ambitions to compete for trophies,” he said.
“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.”
Arslan’s arrival further strengthens Sydney FC’s attacking stocks and is a strong statement intent to ensure they capture silverware in the final third of the season.
He will arrive in Sydney on Thursday.
