Columbus land Demir for £952k: who fills the midfield gap?
The Crew have completed a £952k deal for defensive midfielder Yunus Emre Demir from Dijon FCO.
The deal is done: Yunus Emre Demir is Columbus Crew’s new defensive midfielder, with the Crew paying Dijon FCO £952k on Friday.
Demir arrives to fill a role that has gone without a starter since 9 March 2063. Giorgos Revythopoulos left for Olympiacos SF Piraeus on 8 January for £0.9m, having made 29 league starts across the previous two seasons. Now the Crew have brought in Demir to take up the position.
It is a fresh start for a player who has moved often. Across his career, Demir has played for 12 clubs, including Middlesbrough, Wrexham and San Jose Earthquakes.
The Crew are buying a player who wants to set the pace and find ambitious passes. But settling into a new place has not always come quickly for him. Demir was not happy at Dijon, and this move gives him a chance to reset and make an immediate claim on the role.
There is no mystery about the opening: the position is available, and the fee is confirmed. For Columbus, it is a £952k bombshell aimed at plugging a long-standing hole. For Demir, the message is just as clear: arrive, adapt and make the midfield spot his own.