Brighton’s statement signing coming in the form of a full-back from the Turkish league is certainly a Brighton sentence, and one I’ve been looking forward to for the best part of a month now.
Avoiding interest from the likes of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, the Albion have secured the services of Ferdi Kadioğlu for a reported €30m with add-ons. So, for those not familiar, why are we splashing such a significant fee on a full back?
That’s what I’m here to do, guide you through a whirlwind tour of all things Ferdi, his career so far, his profile, what he can bring to Brighton, pros and cons, how he has begun life on the South Coast and all that comes in between.
Let’s do this.
Ferdi- the Story so Far
Born in Arnhem, the Netherlands, to a Turkish father and a Dutch-Canadian mother, Ferdi represented the Netherlands at youth level and began his professional career at NEC Nijmegen.
Ferdi’s maiden campaign saw him record 4 goals and 4 assists as Nijmegen were relegated to the second division, the Eerste Divisie. There he played as a 10, where he flourished in the second division, hitting 19 G/A as Nijmegen narrowly missed out on promotion.
At Fenerbahçe, which he joined in 2018, was where he moved out wide and eventually to full back, with then manager Phillipp Cocu describing Ferdi with the following quote;
“If you don’t buy him now, you will have to sell the whole team to buy him later.”
which was definitely true for Fener at the time, who were going through something of a transition and economic turmoil.
Ferdi was forced out wide as a result of household names such as Max Kruse and Andre Ayew, with his unusual pathway to full-back being entirely circumstantial. Initially, he was a rotation option on the wing, and despite being at heart a 10, Ferdi would only play there 3 times for Fener during his metamorphosis in over 150 games.
After a few seasons of rotation, Vitor Pereira deployed him as a left wing-back in the opening half season of 21/22, before İsmail Kartal moved to a 4 at the back after Pereira’s departure which pushed him to the left-back role he became synonymous with.
For a right-footed attacking midfielder to be developed as a left-back, it speaks to the versatility and mentality of Ferdi.
Speaking to Italian media, Ferdi said:
“I think being convinced to change positions is related to the approach of the coaches. When I first came to Fenerbahçe, they were saying ‘Play here’ but they were not telling me anything or telling me why.”
“Vitor Pereira came and explained the reason. He explained what I could do if I played on the left. I stuck to the plan and trusted, and when I trusted, I evolved in this way.”
Ferdi’s performances on the left prompted the Turkish national team to come calling, luring him away from the Dutch, who themselves have a plethora of full-backs, so it’s clear Ferdi made the right call.
22/23 saw Ferdi move to right back, before last season, 23/24, he moved back to left back. So, those concerned over him being a left-back when we need a right-back, he is right-footed and played right-back at a high level previously.
Heading into this campaign, Jose Mourinho and Fener valued him as an important player, and some Fener fans called him one of the best to wear the shirt. That’s high praise for a club that has had many icons in its midst.
Kadioglu, A Ferdinomenon
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Kadioğlu is a unique player, not just for his versatility across the pitch, but as an attacking player converted to a full back, he’s a big coup for us this season.
He’s got significant pace, great stamina and decent physicality; however, he is only 5’9”, and so aerially he’s pretty average. He’s a pocket rocket though, he buzzes about, isn’t afraid of duels, is decent 1v1 and works hard- as said.
It has to be said that he’s much more of an attacking full-back, as you’d expect of a player who converted from attacking midfield. His defensive positioning is what needs the most significant improvement. He’s fine as a defender and has had a few seasons now to develop that side of his game, but he’s not exactly in the top percentiles, aside from statistics that would be inflated by a comparatively weaker league.
What we’re paying for is his versatility and his technical ability. You’d assume right-footed left-back inverts, but he’s much more of a traditional overlapper and underlapper in the final third, instead of waltzing into midfield.
He is proficient on both feet which minimises angle bias, he’s a smooth operator with the ball at his feet, his passing is excellent- through balls, crossing, in the build-up, offers a great passing range, great weight of pass, good technical empathy and is a good creator.
Bringing him in with Brajan Gruda and Matt O’Riley, as well as Georginio Rutter, replaces Groß’s chance creation in the aggregate- for lack of better wording. It covers Pascal’s positions, and his statistical averages and also improves our overall athleticism, which is a massive plus in Hürzeler’s system.
With his decision-making, press resistance, consistency on both flanks and great ball striking, this is a Joao Cancelo style of full-back that we’re lucky a more significant club didn’t prioritise. There’s no reason for United to favour Noussair Mazraoui over him aside from price and defensive output- but Ferdi is more than capable; they could’ve held on to Aaron Wan-Bissaka if it was so important, but they’ve spent 100m on centre-backs this season, so you could say they’ve created their problems.
I would like to go over the pros and cons to summarise what I’ve said so far.
Pros:
- His versatility, his creativity, and his passing; are a massive upgrade at right back and a big statement to land him.
- With the signings made since Pascal’s departure, we’re doing the best we can to replace what Pascal gave us, whilst giving Hürzeler the relentless athletes he needs.
- Very quick, great in the recovery, decent 1v1. Certainly an upgrade on the defensive side, even if he isn’t a perfect defender.
- It’s another signing that raises the floor and ceiling of the team, raises the club’s profile, and taps into another market commercially. This is a big signing for Brighton and Hürzeler.
Cons:
- I’m always going to be a little blasé about spending £30m on a full back, regardless of the club, let alone Brighton. It should be a position of least expense, especially with the emergence of Jack Hinshelwood at full-back in recent months.
- Defensive positioning is probably his biggest con. We’ve seen Barco caught high up the pitch in his limited appearances (albeit he has departed on loan to Sevilla), and sometimes there’s a thing of being too versatile and trying to do too much at once. There’s a risk of isolating the centre-backs playing the pair of them, or indeed Pervis. Joel Veltman gives us the most balance defensively so Ferdi will have to work his way into the team at left-back for the time being.
So, overall, what to make of it?
Ferdi has made two substitute appearances since joining, coming on to the field in a 0-0 draw against Ipswich Town, and scoring what would go on to be the winner in a 3-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup. It was a well-taken rebound having been subbed on at the right flank, and his celebration was well worth the admission fee.
I’m delighted, at the end of the day. It’s not my money to spend, and I’m glad they’re spending it on genuine quality.
This is absolutely a 9/10 signing for sure. Could be a serious fan favourite with, a great personality, top mentality, great IQ, hard worker. All the ingredients are there. Now it is time for Fabian to put the oven on.
