Okan Buruk has started a new deal plan at Galatasaray and decided to part ways with seven players as the club prepares for next season. Mauro Icardi is the first departure in that group, and his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
The cleanup comes while Galatasaray is still in the Super League title race. Buruk and the management are moving at the same time, with the squad already being shaped for a different lineup next season.
Buruk’s seven-player list
Buruk chose to move on from seven players whose performances were deemed insufficient. Along with Icardi, the list includes Kaan Ayhan, Ahmed Kutucu, Günay Güvenç, Nicolo Zaniolo, Victor Nelsson and Yaser Asprilla.
Zaniolo and Nelsson have been playing on loan for other teams, while Asprilla arrived on loan from Girona during the mid-season transfer window. That means the club’s changes reach beyond one part of the squad and cover both players inside the group and players already away from it.
Icardi’s Galatasaray exit
Icardi is also not included in Galatasaray’s plans for the new season. The club expects him to bid farewell to the team at the end of the season, which gives his final weeks there a different weight from the rest of the departures.
The forward’s exit stands out because he is the only player in the group described as the first departure at Galatasaray. For supporters and team staff, that leaves the most recognizable name on the way out while the club is still trying to finish its title push.
Galatasaray’s next squad shift
The wider pattern is clear from the names Buruk set aside: Galatasaray wants a more dynamic and versatile squad for the new season. The club is not waiting for the title race to end before making that decision, and the seven-player cleanup already sets the shape of the offseason.
For anyone tracking the squad, the practical read is simple: these seven players are the ones moving out of Galatasaray’s plans, with Icardi’s contract expiry making his departure the most immediate change.
