Ümit Akdağ

Ümit Akdağ — Biography

Ümit Akdağ was born on 6 October 2003 in Bucharest to parents of Turkish ethnicity. After coming through the youth ranks at Steaua București and Chelsea, he joined Alanyaspor in 2017 and made his Süper Lig debut on 3 June 2023, coming on for Umut Güneş in the 46th minute of a 5-1 away loss to Trabzonspor.

He spent the 2023-24 season on loan at TFF First League club Göztepe, debuting in a goalless draw away to Ümraniyespor on 19 August 2023 and scoring his first senior goal on 21 October in a 3-0 win over Şanlıurfaspor; he finished the campaign with three goals in 25 appearances as the club finished runner-up and won promotion to the Süper Lig. In August 2024 he joined French club Toulouse on loan, making his Ligue 1 debut on 22 September 2024 in a 2-0 away defeat to Brest.

Called up by Daniel Pancu to Romania's under-21 team in November 2023, he made his debut coming on in the 71st minute against Albania in qualifying for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and scored against Switzerland on 15 October 2024 in a match that secured Romania first place in its group and a fourth consecutive appearance at the tournament. In the summer of 2026 he became one of the most talked-about names in the Turkish transfer market, linked with Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe, while Alanyaspor reportedly turned down an offer from Başakşehir.