Turkish soccer clubs Besiktas, Fenerbahce eye Iranian striker Ansarifard
Turkish professional football clubs Besiktas and Fenerbahce, which currently play in the country’s Super Lig, have reportedly shown interest in signing Iranian international striker Karim Ansarifard, who exhibited inspired performances at the preliminary round of the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Russia.
The 28-year-old forward for Greek club Olympiacos had previously been on summer transfer radar to Fußball-Club Augsburg, which plays in the Bundesliga – the top tier of the German football league system.
On Jan 13, 2017, Ansarifard finalized a deal, worth €400,000 (over $425,000), with Olympiacos.
Ansarifard scored the equalizer in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group B match between the Iran men’s national football team, nicknamed Team Melli, and Portugal at the Mordovia Arena, Russia, on June 25.
Iran was awarded a penalty kick after a video assistant referee (VAR) review determined that Portugal’s Cedric Soares had committed a handball in the box in the stoppage time.
Ansarifard buried the ball into the upper right corner of the goal.
Ansarifard started his professional career with Saipa Football Club, which is owned by Iranian automobile manufacturer SAIPA, in 2007 before moving to Tehran-based and Persian Gulf Pro League giant Persepolis five years later.
On August 29, 2014, Ansarifard signed a two-year deal with the Spanish club Osasuna. He moved to Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis in the Superleague Greece in the summer of 2015.
He built a reputation for himself in the league, scoring eleven goals in all 36 appearances of last season.
He had earlier been pursued by Greek association football clubs AEK Athens and Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton (PAOK), in addition to Dutch professional football Feyenoord Rotterdam and French club Olympique de Marseille.
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