Besiktas Istanbul sign Portuguese duo

Ambitious Turkish SüperLig side Besiktas Istanbul have been quite active in the transfer market by signing two Portuguese internationals in Simao Sambrosa and Hugo Almeida, who will join them once the transfer market opens in January. They join fellow Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma at the Bernd Schuster coached club.

31 year old Simao has been signed for a fee of 900,000 Euros from current Europa League champions Atletico Madrid of Spain and has signed a contract until summer 2013. He leaves Atletico after two and a half years and would earn up to 7,2 Million Euros.

On leaving Atletico Simao said, "It is difficult for me, I can hardly speak because since I came to Atletico I have grown and become a better professional. When I arrived I said I would do my best to win a title and I eventually ended up with two in Europe (the Europa League and the European Super Cup)."

26 year old Hugo Almeida leaves German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen and has signed a contract until 2014, which would guarantee him a salary of 9,15 Million Euros. At Bremen Almeida was their top scorer of the season with nine goals, but had recently been send off due to indiscipline against St. Pauli which forced the club to rethink their offer to extend his contract. Almeida joins Besiktas for a transfer fee of 2 Million Euros.

Besiktas' president has money to spend and wants to be the top club not only in Istanbul, but across Turkey and also target the UEFA Champions League. Currently they are only fifth in the Turkish league and had already spend money in the summer to bring in former Real Madrid star Guti, Portuguese talent Ricardo Quaresma, former German international Roberto Hilbert and Turkish international Mehmet Aurelio amongst others. The club had appointed former German international and Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster as their manager.