Besiktas JK have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Junior Olaitan from Göztepe in a permanent deal worth €5.00m, adding one of the Süper Lig’s emerging creative talents to their squad. The 23-year-old, who holds Benin and Nigeria nationality, moves within Türkiye’s top flight with an official transfer date of 2026-02-03 and is now under contract with Besiktas until 2026-02-03.
The Istanbul club have secured Olaitan at a fee significantly above his current market valuation of €1.20m, underlining how highly Besiktas rate the midfielder after his rapid rise over the past two seasons. The move keeps him in the Süper Lig rather than returning to either of his home countries, and confirms his status as a player establishing himself abroad in one of Europe’s more competitive leagues.
Olaitan arrives at Besiktas as an attacking midfielder, listed primarily in the “Midfield – Attacking Midfield” role and preferring his right foot. Standing 1.74m tall, he offers a low centre of gravity and profile suited to operating between the lines, linking midfield and attack. His career path to Istanbul has been steady but upward: from Ayema FC in Benin, where he first came to prominence, he earned a move to France with Chamois Niortais FC in 2022-01-31.
A loan switch from Niort to ESTAC Troyes in 2023-09-01, followed by a return from that loan in 2024-06-30, gave him further exposure to French football before Troyes signed him permanently from Niort on 2024-07-01. Another move within France took him to Grenoble Foot 38 on 2024-08-30, where he continued his development in Ligue 2. His market value climbed during this period, rising from €100k at Niort in March 2022 to €600k by April 2023, and hovering around €350k–€500k during his time with Troyes and Grenoble.
The decisive step came when Göztepe brought him to Türkiye on 2025-07-25. Within months, his valuation jumped to €1.20m by October 2025 and stayed there through December, reflecting his impact in İzmir and his adaptation to the Süper Lig. That surge in value and form created the platform for Besiktas to move, paying a premium to secure him from a domestic rival.
Olaitan’s journey from Porto-Novo, where he was born on 09 May 2002, to one of Türkiye’s most prominent clubs illustrates the trajectory of a player steadily building a reputation through multiple leagues. He has already experienced professional football in Benin and France, and now consolidates his status in Türkiye with a long-term commitment to Besiktas lasting from 2026-02-03 to 2026-02-03.
For Göztepe, his departure brings in a substantial fee and closes a short but profitable chapter in which his performances pushed his market value to seven figures. For Besiktas, it is an investment in a versatile attacking midfielder with dual Benin–Nigeria nationality, experience in different football cultures, and a proven capacity to increase his value quickly.
Olaitan’s future now lies firmly in Istanbul, where the expectations and scrutiny will be far higher than at any of his previous clubs. If he can translate his rise from Ayema FC through Niort, Troyes, Grenoble and Göztepe into consistent performances at Besiktas, this transfer could mark the defining stage of his career and establish him as one of the most notable Benin–Nigeria products playing in the Süper Lig.
