Trabzonspor have completed the signing of Turkey international winger Aral Simsir from Danish club FC Midtjylland, in a deal that makes him the most expensive player in the Black Sea club's history. The transfer, confirmed on 8 July 2026, is worth a fixed fee of €13m, payable to Midtjylland in seven instalments, with add-ons that could push the total closer to €15m. Simsir has signed a four-year contract with the option of a further year, tying him to Trabzonspor until the summer of 2030.
Trabzonspor moved early and decisively for Simsir. According to Turkish reports, the club had tracked him for several years and had previously lost out on other targets to rivals who came in with late, higher bids, so this time they wanted to get an agreement locked down well before other suitors could act. Galatasaray and Besiktas both showed interest during the process, but Simsir had already given his word to Trabzonspor and did not entertain competing offers. Speaking after the move was announced, the player said the decision was straightforward: he pointed out that Trabzonspor had been trying to sign him for around five years, which made the call an easy one once terms were agreed.
For Midtjylland, this is a significant departure. Simsir came through the Danish club's academy and spent ten years there in total, becoming one of the most productive attacking players in the Superliga. He leaves having made 145 appearances for the first team, scoring 26 goals and setting up 40 more, and having won four trophies with the club. Losing a player of his output from a squad built on developing and selling talent will be felt both on the pitch and in the way Midtjylland plan their forward line for next season.
Simsir's recent form is what turned this from a solid deal into a club-record one. In the 2025-26 Superliga season he played 31 league matches, scoring nine goals and providing 15 assists, numbers that reflect a player just as involved in creating chances as finishing them. That form was recognised at the end of the campaign when he was voted the Danish Superliga's Player of the Year for 2025-26, chosen by the players' union, broadcaster TV 2's Superliga programme and the league itself. Born in Koge, Denmark, to a family with roots in Sivas, Turkey, Simsir has also established himself as a Turkey international, which only added to the interest from Turkish clubs.
Primarily a wide attacking player capable of playing off either flank or through the middle as an attacking midfielder, Simsir offers Trabzonspor a direct runner who can beat defenders one-on-one and end product to match, evidenced by his goal and assist numbers in Denmark. He arrives at a club looking to strengthen going forward, and his age, 24 this summer, plus a contract running to 2030, suggests Trabzonspor see him as a long-term fixture in their attack rather than a short-term boost. How quickly he adapts to Super Lig football, and to the physical demands of Trabzonspor's style, will determine how soon that record fee starts to look like value.