Mustafa Hekimoğlu: Besiktas wonderkid wants to be the next Robert Lewandowski

Talents Calendar

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Mustafa Hekimoğlu, who has managed to make the jump from Besiktas JK’s academy to the first team, is considered one of the biggest talents in Turkish football. After already developing Rıdvan Yılmaz, Emirhan İlkhan, Serdar Saatçı, Semih Kılıçsoy, and now Hekimoğlu, Besiktas highlights that they have great potential within the club. Some believe the 17-year-old forward can fill the void in the national team that Burak Yılmaz left behind when he retired in 2023.

His first appearance at the big stage came for Hekimoğlu at the Supercup in August. In that game, Besiktas smashed Galatasaray 5-0. Hekimoğlu would score in that game first beating out defender Kaan Ayhan and then slotting the ball past Fernando Muslera to make it 5-0. He was only brought on a few minutes earlier for Ciro Immobile. Since then, Hekimoğlu was given a few more opportunities with the first team.

The only obstacle has been Besiktas’ poor performances both domestically and in Europe. Besiktas are 28th in the Europa League, and in the Süper Lig, the 16-time champions are only sixth. That’s one of the main reasons why Hekimoğlu has played just 231 minutes this season and is often only the third choice. Ahead of him in the pecking order are Immobile and Kılıçsoy. Despite that, many people in Türkiye are excited about the 17-year-old’s potential.

When playing for Türkiye’s youth teams, Hekimoğlu has been a reliable striker. Since September, he has represented the U21 and has scored once in three games. His best qualities are those of a striker, but he is also flexible and can play on both wings. Even though he is still very young, Hekimoğlu is quite physical and strong in duels. On top of that, his ball control and finishing are his best qualities.

Reading the game and positioning are his most significant weaknesses. Hekimoğlu also still struggles to use his physical strength against Süper Lig defenders the same way he did when he played for youth teams. On top of that, he still has to work on his tempo and agility. “Mustafa Hekimoğlu is definitely one of the most talented players,” Area Manager Türkiye Gökhan Yağmur said. “He has great qualities but hasn’t quite reached the level that many experts and fans want to see.

As part of the Süper Lig market value update, Hekimoğlu’s market value increased by €500,000 to now €2.5m. The speed at which his market value will continue to increase will depend on the amount of time he will play for Besiktas and whether he can meet the high expectations placed on him. The Guardian crowned him in October as one of the 60 biggest talents born in 2007. Premier League and Ligue 1 teams are interested in the striker.

On the international stage, Hekimoğlu had his first great moment in September 2024. In the match against Ajax, former Besiktas coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst opted to start him. Aged 17 and 157 days, Hekimoğlu is the youngest player to start for Besiktas in the Europa League. Besiktas, however, lost that game 4-0. “I will never forget the game at Ajax,” Hekimoğlu said to Playspor after the game. “It was an exciting and beautiful game but with a poor result. We felt bad for [Van Bronckhorst], but it was an excellent experience for me.

Van Bronckhorst, who was fired in November, was a big fan of Hekimoğlu. “I was happy with Mustafa’s performances,” Van Bronckhorst said. “He is a player who impresses me despite his young age. Young players like him will be given the time they need. He will improve when he works together in practice with good players.”

Hekimoğlu, in the meantime, has stressed the importance of working together with Immobile. “Sometimes we just practice shots on goal,” Hekimoğlu said. “I try to copy what he is doing in practice.” Like many young players, his role models are Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo. But his favorite player is a Barcelona star. “I like Haaland because he is a physical and fast-forward, but Robert Lewandowski is my idol.” He also has a big career goal. “Real Madrid has been my dream since I was tiny. I would love to wear the Real Madrid jersey, just like Ronaldo.”

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.