Ukrainian winger Alexey Gutsulyak, who became a free agent after his contract with Zhytomyr's Polissya expired, has found a new club. The Ukrainian national team player has agreed on personal terms with Turkish club Kocaelispor.
Financial success and zero transfer fees
According to insider Igor Burbas, the financial aspect played a key role in the player's choice. The Turkish side offered Gutsulyak a salary of approximately 1 million euros per year. This offer became the decisive factor for the Ukrainian.
For Kocaelispor, the transfer proved economically beneficial: since Alexey has free agent status, the club did not have to pay compensation to his former employer.
Statistics as an argument
The player's representatives managed to convince the Turkish officials by relying on impressive statistics. During his time with Polissya, Gutsulyak scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists in 65 matches. In the Ukrainian national team, he also scored six goals.
Why not Maccabi?
The Israeli giant Maccabi Haifa also showed interest in the Ukrainian. Initially, the club offered the player a salary in the range of 700–800 thousand euros. However, the deal did not materialize.
The reason for the refusal was the redistribution of the club's budget. Maccabi allocated funds to sign another foreigner from the UPL — Brazilian Bruninho, who previously played for Lviv's Karpaty. Despite the fact that Bruninho and Gutsulyak play in different positions, Maccabi's management decided to abandon the option with the Ukrainian.
Market value
According to data from the portal Transfermarkt, Alexey Gutsulyak's current market value is estimated at 3.5 million euros. The new club, Kocaelispor, finished 10th in the Turkish Super Lig standings last season.
