Berke Özer Scout Report — Lille OSC’s Turkish International Who Filled Lucas Chevalier’s Gloves

Berke Özer, the goalkeeper Lille OSC brought in during the summer of 2025, was the man chosen to fill the gloves left behind by one of the most lucrative sales in the club’s history, Lucas Chevalier, after his move to Paris Saint-Germain. Born on 25 May 2000 in the Konak district of İzmir, Turkey, the 26-year-old Turkish international is a commanding physical presence between the posts at 1.91m. Signed from Eyüpspor on 14 August 2025, Özer established himself as Lille’s undisputed number one almost from the start.

From Altınordu to Fenerbahçe, from Eyüpspor to Lille

Özer’s footballing journey began in the Bucaspor academy before he moved to Altınordu’s youth system in 2013-2016, the club where he took his first steps in professional football. Signed by Fenerbahçe on 10 July 2018, the young goalkeeper made his first senior appearance for the yellow-and-navy side on 6 December 2018, keeping a clean sheet in a Turkish Cup win over Giresunspor. Between 2019 and 2021 he was loaned to Westerlo in Belgium’s second tier, making 45 league appearances there. After Fenerbahçe, he moved to Portimonense before being loaned to Ümraniyespor midway through the 2022-23 season. He signed for Eyüpspor on 17 January 2023, and over two seasons there he made 63 league appearances, a run of consistent performances that caught Lille’s attention. He moved to the northern French club in August 2025 for a fee of around €4.5 million, taking on the job of replacing Chevalier, who had left for PSG for a fee reported at around €40 million plus bonuses.

International Career and Goalkeeping Identity

Özer represented Turkey at every youth level from U15 to U21 and competed for the country at the 2018 Mediterranean Games. He received his first call-up to the senior national team under Fatih Terim back in 2017, but did not make his official debut until 7 June 2025, in a friendly against the United States under coach Vincenzo Montella. In his first full season at Lille (2025-26) he started 32 Ligue 1 matches, cementing his place as the club’s number one and standing out as one of the league’s most reliable shot-stoppers with 13 clean sheets, the highest total in Ligue 1 that season.

2026-27 Form and Club Context

With Lille having finished third in Ligue 1 last season and returned to the Champions League, Özer is now guarding the net in both competitions. As of early November, he has started all 8 of Lille’s Ligue 1 matches, keeping 5 clean sheets and making 27 saves across 720 minutes for a save percentage of 84.4%, while also featuring in 3 Champions League fixtures. His standout performance came in a 1-0 away win at Toulouse on 3 September, rated 9.3, while a tougher night came in a 2-4 home defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League on 21 October. The club has also undergone a major change on the touchline: following the departure of Bruno Génésio, Davide Ancelotti — son of Carlo Ancelotti — took over as head coach on 1 June 2026, his first full-time managerial post in Europe. Özer’s consistent performances this season are seen as an important factor in retaining the new coach’s trust in goal.

Conclusion

Despite following a high-profile departure in Lucas Chevalier, Berke Özer has shown through steady, reliable performances across both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons that he has made Lille’s goal his own. His strong clean-sheet record, high save percentage and rising international career all point to the 26-year-old remaining Lille’s first-choice goalkeeper under Davide Ancelotti as well.