The Crew are finalizing an agreement to loan winger Nariman Akhundzade to Turkish club Erzurumspor FK, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Dispatch on Aug. 3. Terms of the agreement were not yet known.
Akhundzade, 22, has made 10 appearances for the Crew. He has yet to score a goal, but recorded an assist against NYCFC in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup on May 20, which the Crew won 1-0. Akhundzade started all three of the Crew's U.S. Open Cup games.
In international competition, Akhundzade has started seven matches for Azerbaijan since being promoted to the senior team in 2023.
The Crew signed Akhundzade to a U22 initiative contract on Feb. 9. A U22 initiative player can be signed at a reduced budget charge, which is the amount
of a player's salary and transfer fee that counts against the club's salary cap.
Akhundzade started his professional career in Azerbaijan in 2022 with Qarabag FK. He recorded 21 goals over three seasons.
Akhundzade will join Erzurumspor, a team currently playing in the Super Lig, the top flight of Turkish soccer. Erzurumspor won the TFF 1 Lig in the 2025-26 season, the second-tier soccer league in Turkey, and was promoted to the Super Lig as a result.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew to loan Nariman Akhundzade to Turkish club Erzurumspor
