Besiktas continue to build

Turkish Super League champions Besiktas JK have emphasised their ambition for next season at home and abroad by signing Egyptian international midfield player Ahmed Hassan.

Champions League ambition
The 28-year-old has left Gençlerbirligi SK and signed a three-year contract with the Istanbul giants. "I hope we will be the champions again next season but also I believe that we are going to be successful in the [UEFA] Champions League," he said.

Career in Turkey
Hassan's career in Turkey began in 1998 when he joined Kocaelispor. After three seasons he moved on to Denizlispor for two years and then Gençlerbirligi for another two-year spell. Last season he scored 13 times in 27 games as Gençlerbirligi finished third in the league.

More signings
Meanwhile, Besiktas vice-president Hüsnü Güreli has revealed that more signings are in the pipeline. "We may sign official contracts with Adanaspor [AS] player Ümit Aydin and Çanakkale Dardanelspor defender and Turkish Under-21 international Gökhan Zan next week," he said.

Tayfur deal
The news follows the decision of captain Tayfur Havutçu to sign a two-year contract extension with the option of a further year, and the Besiktas squad has also been reinforced by the recent arrival of U21 international striker Sinan Kaloglu and midfield player Okan Koç.