Jose Mourinho (foto: Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho, the new coach of Fenerbahçe, has reportedly listed eight players he no longer counts on.
This summer, Jose Mourinho took over as the head coach of Fenerbahçe. Under his leadership, Fenerbahçe completed their summer preparations, playing four friendly matches and losing only to Hajduk Split. In just eight days, they face their first competitive match of the season in the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Swiss side Lugano, a team they should be able to overcome.
Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncouglu claims that Mourinho has already compiled a list of players he does not plan to use. This list includes eight names, and unfortunately for Hajduk fans, Edin Džeko is not among them. However, the list does feature Miha Zajc, Luan Peres, Miguel Crespo, Joao Pedro, Ryan Kent, Emre Mor, Umut Nayir, and Rade Krunić, whom Fenerbahçe recently acquired from Milan for €3.5 million.
Out of all these names, Umut Nayir is the most familiar to Hajduk Split supporters, having spent a season on loan with the "Bili" (The Whites). He worked well with Marko Livaja, who played as a number ten, the same position where Gennaro Gattuso and Nikola Kalinić see him. The tall Turkish striker is unlikely to get much playing time at Fenerbahçe, making a new loan or transfer highly probable. Whether Poljud is a possible destination remains to be seen.
Regarding Džeko's status at Fenerbahçe, conflicting reports are coming from Turkey. Unlike Sabuncouglu, Fanatik claims that Mourinho no longer counts on Džeko, allegedly viewing him as a second-choice striker. Whether this is true or mere speculation will be revealed in due course.