Salih Uçan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Salih Uçan's time at Fenerbahçe was marked by a series of loan moves after his initial breakthrough. On 7 July 2014, he joined Roma on a two-year loan for a fee of €4.75 million, with an option for Roma to sign him outright for €11 million in 2016. He made his official Roma debut in a 3–0 victory against Chievo on 18 October 2014, but after just 10 appearances over two years, Roma declined the permanent option. Uçan returned to Fenerbahçe in July 2016, but was loaned out again a year later to Swiss club Sion on 31 August 2017. During his one-year spell there, he played 19 league matches and 1 Swiss Cup match. He returned to Fenerbahçe in July 2018, playing only friendly matches before being loaned again on 17 August 2018 to Italian Serie A club Empoli. He scored on his Empoli debut, netting the final goal in a 3–3 draw with Frosinone on 21 October 2018. On 31 January 2019, the last day of the winter transfer window, Empoli made the move permanent.

In Their Own Story

On 14 March 2013, the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium was tense as Fenerbahçe faced Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Europa League round of 16. Salih Uçan, still a teenager, scored his debut goal for the club, pulling the score to 1–1. That single strike proved decisive: the draw was enough to send Fenerbahçe through to the quarter-finals. Just weeks later, on 7 April 2013, Uçan scored twice against Orduspor in the Süper Lig, helping Fenerbahçe extend a four-match winning streak. Those early flashes of brilliance — a Europa League debut goal and a brace in the league — defined his promise at the club before the series of loans began.

Reader's Guide

Salih Uçan's career at Fenerbahçe is best understood through his transfer history and loan spells. Signed on 6 June 2012 for €1.4 million — a record fee for a Turkish youth player — he signed a five-year contract worth €220,000 per season. His debut goal came on 14 March 2013 in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzeň, a match that ended 1–1 and secured Fenerbahçe's place in the quarter-finals. He scored twice against Orduspor on 7 April 2013 as part of a four-game Süper Lig winning run. After that, his path took him away from the club on three separate loans: to Roma (2014–2016, 10 appearances), to Sion (2017–2018, 19 league matches), and to Empoli (2018–2019, where he scored on his debut). The Empoli loan became permanent on 31 January 2019. Uçan later played for Alanyaspor (from 10 July 2019) and Beşiktaş (from 4 July 2021, signing a new 2+1 year contract on 28 June 2024), with a brief loan to İstanbul Başakşehir from 28 January 2022 until the end of the season.

Did You Know?

• Fenerbahçe paid €1.4 million for Uçan on 6 June 2012, the highest fee ever paid to a Turkish youth player at the time.
• He scored his first goal for Fenerbahçe in a UEFA Europa League round of 16 match against Viktoria Plzeň on 14 March 2013, though his European debut for the club came earlier in the group stage.
• Uçan scored twice against Orduspor on 7 April 2013, helping Fenerbahçe win four Süper Lig games in a row.
• He was loaned to Roma for two years (2014–2016) for a fee of €4.75 million, but made only 10 appearances and Roma did not make the move permanent.
• Uçan scored on his debut for Empoli, the final goal in a 3–3 draw with Frosinone on 21 October 2018.