One of the brightest wingers in Ukrainian football, Alexey Gutsulyak, has decided on the continuation of his career. After the expiration of his contract with Zhytomyr's 'Polissya' and obtaining free agent status, the player agreed on the terms of a personal agreement with the Turkish club 'Kocaelispor'.
Financial Factor and Contract Terms
According to insider Igor Burbas, the financial aspect played a key role in the decision. The Turkish side, representing a team that finished the previous Super Lig season in 10th place, offered the player a salary of around 1 million euros per year. This offer allowed the Ukrainian's requests to be met, enabling him to play in one of Europe's strongest leagues without the club needing to pay a transfer fee.
Why Not Israel?
Interest in Alexey was also shown by the Israeli giant 'Maccabi' (Haifa). In Haifa, the player was offered a contract with a salary of about 700–800 thousand euros. However, the deal did not materialize due to reasons beyond the player's control: the 'Maccabi' management reallocated the budget to acquire another foreign player from the UPL — the Brazilian Bruninho from Lviv's 'Karpaty'. Thus, despite the players occupying different positions, the option with Gutsulyak was definitively closed.
Statistics and Market Value
The arguments in favor of signing a contract with Gutsulyak were his impressive statistics. During his time with 'Polissya', the winger played 65 matches, scoring 21 goals and making 11 assists. At the level of the Ukrainian national team, he also scored six goals. According to the Transfermarkt portal, the player's current market value is estimated at 3.5 million euros.
