Western Sydney Wanderers have announced the departure with immediate effect of troubled striker Kerem Bulut in a press release of few words.
On the books with Sydney FC’s youth team the talented forward was recommended to Czech club Mlada Boleslav by then head coach Vitezslav Lavicka following a star turn with the Australian U20 team in which he won the AFC U19 Championship golden boot award.
Spells in Czech Republic and Turkey followed before Bulut teamed up with Wanderers coach Tony Popovic, winning over a large percentage of the club’s fans with five goals in nine games during a short stint with the club in 2015.
After a brief spell in Greece, Bulut reunited with Popovic this season competing with experienced striker Brendon Santalab and young talent Lachlan Scott to lead the line for the Wanderers.
Goalless in six appearances Bulut appeared to have fallen out of favour with the Western Sydney head coach taking no part in the match day squad for the last four A-League games.
The club announced on Wednesday he’s been released from his two-year deal to pursue other “professional opportunities”.
It believed Bulut is looking to link up with a team in Thailand, potentially Thai Premier League side Chiangrai United, the club of former Wanderers foundation striker Mark Bridge.
Bulut’s exit leaves the seventh-placed Wanderers even shorter up front, with preferred striker Santalab now banned for three games including next month’s Sydney derby, and 19-year-old Scott still finding his feet.
Popovic has been hustling behind the scenes to bring in extra bodies, with the club having recently been linked to Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov, Didier Drogba, Eduardo and Jamie Maclaren.
His hunt for a reliable source of goals will continue throughout the January transfer window – potentially the club’s most important yet given their imminent Asian Champions League campaign starting in February.
The Wanderers have already signed former Sydney FC goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic, who will be available when the window opens on January 4.
