Omer Beyaz’s name only rang bells in mainstream media when Stuttgart recently triggered his transfer from Fenerbahce. He joined the Istanbul club when he was only 10 years old and the talented forward remarkably signed his first professional contract with the Turkish club in August 2018, aged just 14.
But it wasn’t until January 2019 that he truly entered the spotlight as he led Turkey U-16 to a fantastic run in the Mercedes-Benz Aegean Cup, scoring two consecutive braces – once in the Semi-Final 2-1 win over England and then in the 2-0 Final victory against Spain. His senior debut for the club arrived almost two years after his contract signing, in June 2020, when he was 16.
The Fenerbahce youth product is one of Turkey’s up and coming talents in Europe – alongside the likes of Ozan Kabak, Güven Yalçın, Orkun Kokcu, Ali Akman and Yunus Akgün, among others. He has already been touted by Turkish press as a future superstar but the youngster’s journey in professional football has only just begun.
Stuttgart’s sporting director Sven Mislintat – who himself is no stranger to luring world-class talents (Pulisic, Lewandowski, Guendouzi, Dembele, Kagawa, Hummels etc.) – in alliance with the club scouts deemed Beyaz as a worthy transfer, having been impressed by his technicality and skills on the ball.
In July last year, Beyaz became the youngest player to ever start a match in the yellow-and-black colors in Turkey. By November, he had already captained the club. Beyaz, who turned 17 last August, is an attacking midfielder whose sole purpose lies in creative play and opening up spaces in the final-third. As a No. 10, the teenager is dynamic, agile and all about making his presence known with his close control and technique on the ball. Beyaz possesses an innate ability to dribble with on-the-go acceleration and electric pace.
His sweet left foot also makes him a threat from direct free kicks around the penalty box – with his finesse and curling shots. Tactical intelligence, passing, and creativity in tight spaces are arguably his greatest strengths along with his sleek dribbling skills. Perhaps, Beyaz’s weaknesses that stand out the most are his aerial abilities, defensive contributions, and positioning intelligence. But at this stage of his career, his strengths outweigh his weaknesses and only playing at the highest levels will highlight what he is truly capable of. Nonetheless, for a player his age, he does carry something special.
Speaking of Beyaz’s talent, Fenerbahce youth coach Gokhan Bozkaya recently mentioned: “Everyone has high expectations for him. If he can continue his development properly, Fenerbahce will have a player that will make fans forget Alex De Souza (considered one of the club’s greatest ever players). He is a very special talent.”
Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City all had their scouts eyeing the 2003-born playmaker, but Sven Mislintat’s Stuttgart appeared as the team where Beyaz could foresee his development. Given that he is still in the baby stages of his career, Beyaz has huge potential to make his mark in Europe and cap for some of the continent’s best teams.