Mario Gomez to Besiktas: Latest Loan Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Besiktas have completed the signing of Fiorentina forward Mario Gomez on a season-long loan.

The club’s official website confirmed the deal, noting the Turkish side have the option to complete a permanent switch for the striker come the end of the loan.

It means the Germany international is likely to end his stay with La Viola, having joined the Serie A side from Bayern Munich back in 2013.

As we can see here courtesy of OptaCan, the 30-year-old is still one of the most lethal finishers anywhere in European football:

According to soccerway.com, the German only made 29 league appearances in two seasons for Fiorentina, as injuries conspired against him. Gomez only scored seven goals as a result, making for a frustrating couple of seasons in Florence.

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The move to Besiktas poses an intriguing opportunity to recapture the kind of form that made him one of the most consistent goalscorers in Europe.

The division is less strenuous than the Italian top flight and while it is growing in stature—as is evident by the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie joining in recent seasons—in terms of quality, it doesn’t measure up to most prestigious leagues on the continent.

Nonetheless, Bleacher Report’s Matteo Bonetti is unsure about what Gomez can offer after his injury problems:

Ultimately, much will depend on the service he gets from his Besiktas team-mates. Gomez has always been a player who needs a supply line to be at his very best. If the incisive midfield talents at the Ataturk Stadium can find him regularly in dangerous areas, the goals will flow.

For the Istanbul club, getting Gomez on board is a major coup. At 30 years old he still has plenty to give, and provided the problems with fitness abate and the service to him is consistent, the German will find goals easy to come by in the Turkish Super Lig.