Westerlo ended the year on a bad streak, which forced him to suddenly look back instead of fighting for the top six. He has slipped to 12th place and is just two points ahead of the bottom four.
The Campinois may therefore have to intervene in the transfer market in January. For the moment, it seems that we are talking more about departures than arrivals. Bryan Reynolds and Muhammed Gümüskaya, among others, have already been linked with a departure.
Ortakaya is already leaving Westerlo
But in the meantime, another player will be the first to leave the Kuio. According to Turkish sources, Emir Ortakaya broke his lease. The 20-year-old defender will therefore return to Fenerbahçe after just six months.
Westerlo recruited the Turkish international hopeful this summer, but he has failed to establish himself so far. He was barred in central defense by Emir Bayram and sensation Luka Vuskovic.
Barely in action
As a result, Ortakaya only started five times in the first half of the season: three times in the Jupiler Pro League and twice in the Croky Cup. Thursday, against Club Brugge, he remained glued to the sidelines throughout the match.
This may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. With Roman Neustädter, Rubin Seigers and Bakary Haidara, Timmy Simons still has several alternatives behind him in his defense, so Ortakaya’s departure does not seem like a major catastrophe.
