Basaksehir midfielder Mehmet Topal leaves club

Medipol Basaksehir's defensive midfielder became free agent after leaving the Turkish football club on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Istanbul club said the contract of Topal, 35, who has played for Basaksehir since 2019, has expired.

Basaksehir thanked him for his "significant contributions" to the team.

"Topal will always remain special to the Basaksehir family," the club said, adding he played an important role in helping the club clinch the 2020 Turkish Super Lig title.

Topal, for his part, said that he was proud of winning the Super Lig title with Basaksehir and thanked officials, including Chairman Goksel Gumusdag and club's former manager Okan Buruk, as well as club staff and fans.

The former Turkish international won the Super Lig with three different clubs in his career; 2008 with Galatasaray, 2014 with Fenerbahce and 2020 with Basaksehir.

Topal was a Valencia player in 2010-2012. He played for Fenerbahce for seven years (2012-2019) before he moved to Basaksehir.

He was nicknamed "Spider Man" for his ball-winning skill on the pitch.