Bursaspor Sign Zeki Yavru: What Do the Data Show?

Bursaspor Officially Sign Zeki Yavru

Bursaspor have strengthened their squad ahead of the new season with the signing of experienced right-back Zeki Yavru.

The club have officially announced an agreement with the former Samsunspor player, who will now continue his career with Bursaspor.

After spending the last four seasons at Samsunspor, Zeki Yavru arrives with significant experience and the ability to operate both at right-back and on the right side of midfield.

His Final Season at Samsunspor

According to StatsLook data, Zeki Yavru made 29 Süper Lig appearances for Samsunspor during the 2025/26 season and played 2,017 minutes.

He started 86% of those matches and recorded:

• One assist

• No goals

• 0.41 expected goals

• A 6.59 average rating

He was used both as a right-back and right midfielder.

StatsLook Analysis: Zeki Yavru’s Profile

The most notable area of Zeki Yavru’s 2025/26 profile was not purely defensive output, but his contribution in possession and chance creation.

Among Süper Lig right-backs with at least 450 minutes played, he ranked:

• Third for key passes with 1.43 per 90

• Fourth for long balls with 5.85

• Fourth for touches with 68.05

• Seventh for accurate passes with 34.89

These figures show a full-back who regularly becomes involved when his team has possession.

Strong Creative Output From Right-Back

Zeki Yavru averaged 1.43 key passes per 90, placing him third among Süper Lig right-backs.

He also produced 6.78 crosses per 90.

That volume shows how actively he was involved in progressing attacks down the right side and delivering the ball into advanced areas.

Although he finished the season with only one assist, his key-pass numbers indicate a creative contribution beyond the final assist total.

Long Passing Is a Major Feature

Zeki Yavru averaged 5.85 long balls per 90, ranking fourth among right-backs.

That gives Bursaspor an option for quickly switching the direction of play or attacking more directly from deeper positions.

His passing accuracy stood at 79.7%, ranking 15th in his positional group.

The profile therefore combines relatively high involvement on the ball with frequent attempts to move possession over longer distances.

What Do the Defensive Numbers Show?

Per 90 minutes, Zeki Yavru recorded:

• 1.70 tackles

• 1.12 interceptions

• 2.41 clearances

• 0.27 blocks

• 3.44 ball recoveries

• 3.44 duels won

He ranked 19th among Süper Lig right-backs for tackles, 11th for interceptions and 23rd for ball recoveries.

Those figures show a level of defensive contribution, although his standout numbers come more clearly in possession and attacking creation.

What Can He Bring to Bursaspor?

Zeki Yavru’s 2025/26 profile suggests three particularly useful qualities:

• Chance creation from the right

• High crossing volume

• The ability to switch play with long passes

His 29 appearances and 2,017 minutes also demonstrate that he played regularly last season.

The ability to operate both at right-back and right midfield gives Bursaspor additional positional flexibility.

Conclusion: Experience With On-Ball Value

Bursaspor’s signing of Zeki Yavru should not be viewed only as the addition of an experienced defender.

StatsLook data shows a player whose strongest contribution comes in possession.

Last season, he ranked third among Süper Lig right-backs for key passes, fourth for long balls and fourth for touches.

Bursaspor have therefore added a player who can contribute defensively while also becoming actively involved in build-up and chance creation from the right side.

Data note: The supplied transfer text describes Zeki Yavru as 35 years old, while the StatsLook profile lists his date of birth as 5 September 1991 and his age as 34. The StatsLook profile has been used for the performance-analysis section.

The transfer information in this article is based exclusively on the Bursaspor announcement supplied by the user. The performance assessment in the “StatsLook Analysis” section was prepared solely from the StatsLook data supplied by the user.