Filipino-German footballer Gerritt Holtmann is set to play in Turkey for Antalyaspor FC on a one-year loan in the 2023-2024 Super Lig season.

The club made the announcement late Saturday (Manila time) that Holtmann will be staying with the Turkish side for at least a year with the Akrepeler having an option to buy him out if he's impressive enough in his loan season.

Otherwise, the 28-year-old forward will return to VfL Bochum for the Bundesliga as he is slated to see out his contract with the club which lasts until 30 June 2025.

Bochum could also cut Holtmann's loan deal at anytime of the season should the club need his services and if Antalyaspor agrees to it.

After an impressive 2021-2022 season with Bochum where he netted five goals and seven assists in 33 games, Holtmann struggled to impress after only notching one goal and two assists in 26 appearances.

There, the team finished in 14th place in the German League with 35 points behind a 10-5-19 win-draw-loss record. In the DFB-Pokal, they got knocked out by powerhouse Borussia Dortmund last 8 February (1-2) in the Round-of-16 at their home stadium, the Vonovia Ruhrstadion in Bochum.

A change of scenery might help Holtmann get back his form as he is eager to help Antalyaspor improve from its 13th-place finish last season.

"At the end of a long process, what both sides wanted came true. It will be exciting for me to play football in a beautiful city like Antalya, in a team with goals like Antalyaspor. I think we will do very well together with my teammates," Holtmann said on the team's website.

The Akrepeler, two-time Super Lig winner, only finished with 41 points behind an 11-8-17 tally last season.

Holtmann will be up against stars such as England's Dele Alli (Besiktas) and Edin Dzeko of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Dusan Tadic of Serbia, who both play for Fenerbache.

Antalyaspor president Sabri Gülel also can't wait to see the Filipino-German forward in action when the club faces Trabzonspor on 12 August at the Șenol GüneȘ Spor Kompleksi Akyazı Stadyumu in Trabzon, Turkey.

"We brought one of the fastest wingers in Europe to our team. Our management made great efforts to complete the transfer of the player with high performance for two months. We and Holtmann are both extremely happy with the result," Gülel said.

"Despite his 28 years of age, he is a highly experienced, strong and stable player. We will continue to include the players that we believe will be beneficial to our team in our colors under the most favorable conditions."

A successful spell in Turkey could also translate to national success for Holtmann as he will be a key member of the Philippine national men's football team in the second leg of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers from November to June 2024.

The Azklas are in Group F with Iraq, Vietnam and the winner of the first-round match between Indonesia and Brunei as the top two teams of the group will earn an automatic slot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia and will advance to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.