Barış Alper Yılmaz

Barış Alper Yılmaz came through the youth ranks at Rize İl Özel İdarespor before a move to Ankara Demirspor, and after a spell at Ankara Keçiörengücü, Galatasaray signed him in July 2021 for €2.1 million, with a 20% sell-on clause left behind for his old club. His breakthrough on the international stage came with a debut for Turkey against Gibraltar. He went on to be selected for the Euro 2024 squad and later for the 2026 World Cup squad, adding to a run that has brought him 38 caps and five goals for the national side. At club level, some of his biggest moments have come against Galatasaray's fiercest rivals and in Europe: he scored a penalty in a 3–0 win over Fenerbahçe, and found the net against Juventus for his first Champions League goal, in a match Galatasaray lost 3–2 but which sent them through 7–5 on aggregate. The start of the following season proved harder — a goalless run through his first six matches drew criticism, and manager Okan Buruk began weighing up whether to use him at right back instead of in his usual attacking role.