Kerim Frei joins Besiktas from Fulham

Kerim Frei in action for Fulham

Teenage midfielder Kerim Frei has left Fulham FC for Turkish giants Besiktas, Yahoo! Sport reports.

Frei, who signed for the London club from Swiss club Grasshopper in 2010, had a loan spell at Cardiff City last season. The youngster chose to go back to Turkey in order to get more regular action.

Fulham boss Martin Jol said: “Kerim has progressed well through his time in the Academy and into the fringes of the first team, which enabled him to play for the Turkish national team, which is a big thing for him.

“But for him to continue this progression and to really fulfil his potential he needs to play week in, week out, and I couldn’t offer him that as part of the first team here, so we decided to accept the offer from Besiktas.

“He’s sure to have a big impact back in Turkey and I know that on a personal level it’s a good option for him.”

The 19-year-old had previously represented Switzerland at the Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, but chose to represent Turkey since 2012, playing for them at Under-20 level. His performance earned him a call-up to the Turkish national team.

Jol added on Fulham’s official website, “As a club, because of the structure of the deal, we are still invested in his future and what we believe he’ll be able to achieve in time. I know he’ll be much happier playing, so we wish him all the best.”