If it wasn't all true, the prospective transfer of Didier Drogba from Shanghai Shenhua to Galatasaray would make a perfect satire about how money makes the modern football world go round. Here we have a footballer from the Ivory Coast, whose reputation flourished playing in England for a team funded by a Russian billionaire. That reputation gave him the opportunity for a spectacular payday in China, but when things didn't work out so well, his next destination is Turkey, who have perhaps the most favourable tax rate in Europe any footballer could wish for outside of Monaco.

When Drogba agreed to follow Wesley Sneijder to make Galatasaray one of the stories of this transfer window, it was understandable for the reaction to be mixed. Even within Turkey people have expressed astonishment about these quite unexpected transfers.

The club deserve hearty congratulations for showing such ballsy ambition, and preparing themselves as best they can to capitalise on their first appearance for some time in the Champions League knockout round. But it is slightly puzzling that players of the calibre of Sneijder and Drogba were not chased by more suitors.

Both are capable of being in the top handful in the world in their position. They both proved inspirational to their teams winning the Champions League in recent seasons. Sneijder might be a difficult character to drop into a dressing room, and Drogba close to his 35th birthday, but the fact that Galatasaray had no genuine competition is strange. There are whispers that both players were holding out for a different destination, only for nothing to materialise. Time to smile for the cameras in Cimbom colours.

Galatasaray leveraged themselves into pole position helped by a tax-free deal. Although the Chinese club is complaining, and there is some manouvering to be done, Drogba expects to join Galatasaray after the Africa Cup of Nations. He will collect a fee of €4m and the club will pay his tax bill on top of that. It suddenly does not seem pure coincidence for a couple of notable stars to head to Turkey, while the French league, under the cloud of the 75% rate proposed by the François Hollande, is experiencing a talent drain.

Finances might have talked loudly in Galatasaray's negotiations, but it is worth pointing out that from a sporting perspective this is not the same thing as David Beckham going to LA Galaxy or Samuel Eto'o heading to Anzhi Makhachkala. Galatasaray's heritage should ensure they have considerably more clout.

This is all about a club trying to regain its footing in the upper echelons of European football. Since winning the Uefa Cup in 2000, their high watermark and constant reference point, they endured a decade between 2001 and 2011 that was mostly demoralising. There were a couple of titles, but no sustained success, and money problems dogged them. Now they are going for it, determined to give themselves the best possible chance of skipping back up the ladder.

Everything began to look up in 2011. Galatasaray moved into a new 52,000-seat stadium, the biggest in Turkey. They have generated new sponsors, resources in excess of €95m, and sit in a comfortable place in the Deloitte football money league. They racked up more than 40,000 season ticket holders, and feel able to compete beyond the domestic market they now lead.

Galatasaray have been steadily upgrading since the club came under the influence of a new president. When the Istanbul-born millionaire Unal Aysal took over in 2011, his priority was to bring back Fatih Terim, the man they call the emperor, the charismatic coach who had inspired the most successful period in Galatasaray's history. The connection between these two men has been instrumental in turning Cimbom around. "Galatasaray are re-establishing themselves," observes Alp Ulagay from the newspaper Hurriyet. "The club is able to pursue these players, and get big stars, thanks to Terim and Aysal, who is a very European-minded man."

The title was won in the first season under the leadership of Terim and Aysal, who began building a squad by blending domestic talent with overseas experience – Brazilian Felipe Melo is a crucial player. Even Emmanuel Eboué has prospered after a poor start to his spell in Turkey. Now the club are raring to take the next step. "One of my principles is to go further and further. No limits," Terim said when he was at the peak of his powers leading Gala to the 2000 Uefa Cup triumph.

It has not been the happiest period in Turkish football, with match-fixing scandals still fresh in the memory, the national team fading and domestic standards dipping. Bringing in high-profile names such as Sneijder and Drogba is a real boost. Worth, it would seem, every lira.{jcomments on}