Who is Semih Kilicsoy? The Turkish wonderkid Arsenal & Spurs are battling for

Tom Weber

Updated: 1 May 2024 21:37 BST
4 min read

Semih Kilicsoy has burst onto the scene in Turkey in 2023/24.

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The 18-year-old striker idolises Sergio Aguero and his hero would certainly be proud of his performances. Kilicsoy has been prolific for Besiktas in the Super Lig, currently scoring every other game.

His impressive production has put the teenager on the radar of some of Europe's biggest clubs, with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham said to be among the sides keeping tabs on him.

But who is Semih Kilicsoy and how good is he really?

What position does Kilicsoy play in?

Kilicsoy is primarily a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder and a winger.

How good is Kilicsoy?

Born in the European half of Istanbul, Kilicsoy joined Besiktas' youth setup in 2016 and proved prolific at underage football, eventually being handed a professional deal in 2021. The 18-year-old netted a pretty ridiculous 40 goals and 61 games in the U19 Super Lig for Besiktas and was duly rewarded with a first-team debut against Nuri Sahin's Antalyaspor in February 2023.

The youngster did not manage to get on the scoresheet in four senior appearances in the 2022/23 season, but the same can't be said of the 23/24 campaign. Now a regular fixture in Besiktas' first team, Kilicsoy is, at the time of writing, scoring every other game in the Super Lig, having netted 10 goals in 20 appearances. The striker has not yet managed to get off the mark in the cup or in European competitions, but he has done enough to attract the attention of Premier League, Bundesliga and LaLiga scouts.

Kilicsoy has revealed that he idolises former Man City star Sergio Aguero and there are certainly shades of the Argentine in the way the Turkish talent goes about his business. At 178cm (5ft 10in), he is far from physically imposing but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with dynamism and technical ability. Rather than being just a pure poacher, Kilicsoy is not afraid to drop deep and facilitate attacks with combination play and his ambidexterity means that he can also attack from either flank, though his best role is as a centre-forward.

Despite being just 18, the attacker is already part of Turkey's U21 setup and given the willingness shown by the senior side in giving up-and-coming talents like Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz a chance, it seems to be only a matter of time before he makes his first-team bow for his country. If he keeps scoring at his current rate, a move away from Besiktas won't be long in coming either.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Besiktas teenager Semih Kilicsoy 👀

The Turkish wonderkid has scored 10 goals in 20 league games this season 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/GUHVAkqF4X
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) May 1, 2024

What clubs are interested in Kilicsoy?

Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are interested in Kilicsoy, according to CaughtOffside.

In 2023, Aston Villa were also linked with Kilicsoy by Turkish media.