Mert Çetin

Mert Çetin — Biography

Yıldırım Mert Çetin is a 1.89-metre center-back who came through the Gençlerbirliği youth system and moved to Roma in Italy. He has played in the Süper Lig for Gençlerbirliği, Kayserispor, Adana Demirspor and Ankaragücü, and for the Turkey national team. Since June 2026 he has played for 2. Lig side Erzincanspor.

He started in football at 11 in the Gençlerbirliği academy. In 2016 he signed a professional contract and spent a season at Hacettepe, the club's feeder team. At the start of 2017-18 Ümit Özat brought him into the first team to gain experience, and he made his Süper Lig debut on November 19, 2017, starting against Kayserispor. In August 2019 he joined Roma in a move reported to carry a high fee. His time in Italy was spent mostly on loan: Hellas Verona in 2020, then Kayserispor in January 2022, Lecce in August 2022, Adana Demirspor in January 2023 and MKE Ankaragücü in July 2023. He announced his departure from Hellas Verona in July 2024 and signed with Ankaragücü in August 2024.

His national-team debut came on November 17, 2019, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Andorra, replacing Merih Demiral in the 80th minute. He joined Boluspor in January 2026 and signed for Erzincanspor in June, announced as the club's first signing.