Turkish loan
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Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has joined Caykur Rizespor on loan, as first reported by Transfermarkt, the deal is now official. The 22-year-old has passed a medical and signed his temporary contract, which keeps him with the Süper Lig outfit until the end of the 2025/26 season. It’s understood that there is currently no option for Rizespor to sign him on a permanent deal, with Palace only prepared to authorize a straight loan for the highly-rated forward. The England Under-21 international fielded several offers from Championship clubs during the summer transfer window but a move failed to materialize. However, with the Turkish transfer deadline running until midnight on September 12, Rak-Sakyi decided to explore a move abroad and will now link up with his new team-mates.
In heading to Türkiye, Rak-Sakyi treads the path of former Palace forward Yannick Bolasie and ex-Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in signing for the Turkish side, who have pulled off a coup in adding a sought-after player to their ranks. Palace have been reluctant to sell Rak-Sakyi, rebuffing a transfer bid from Leeds United last summer. They believe the London-born talent can have an important say in their future plans under head coach Oliver Glasner . His contract is due to run until June 2027, giving the Premier League club time to evaluate their options next summer. But with the €30million arrival of Yeremy Pino from Villarreal, it was apparent that a switch would be best for all parties concerned.
Rak Sakyi, who has a market value of €6m, heads out on loan for the third time since graduating from the club’s academy after making his Palace debut in August 2021 against Chelsea. After making an impression as a teenager, he joined Charlton Athletic on loan for the 2022-23 campaign and scored 15 goals, as well as registering eight assists for the League One side. He caught the eye during his temporary spell, with the club’s supporters naming him their Player of the Year. The youngster returned to Palace for the 2023-24 campaign, but was afforded limited first-team opportunities from the bench and only made eight appearances. He was then sent on loan to Sheffield United in the Championship, who had beaten several clubs to capture his signature. Despite scoring seven goals in 35 games, Rak-Sakyi returned to his parent club and now embarks on a new challenge in Türkiye.