Salih Özcan

Salih Özcan is a midfielder born in Cologne, Germany, where he joined 1. FC Köln’s academy at the age of nine. He made his Bundesliga debut against Schalke 04 in September 2016 and became a regular starter during the 2017–18 season. In 2017, Özcan won the Golden Fritz Walter Medal as Germany’s best under-19 player. After a loan at Holstein Kiel in the 2019–20 2. Bundesliga season, he returned to Köln and became a central figure in midfield. Özcan moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2022 after a strong 2021–22 campaign, offering ball recovery, duel strength and defensive coverage in a deeper role. He represented Germany at youth level, including the team that won the 2021 European Under-21 Championship, before choosing Türkiye and making his senior debut in 2022. He is currently listed with Beşiktaş.