Kelechi Iheanacho Joins Bursaspor After Celtic Contract

Kelechi Iheanacho turned his back on a fresh Celtic contract and pushed his way to Bursaspor, insisting he told his agent to “do everything possible” to make the move happen.

The 29-year-old Nigeria striker had only signed a one-year deal with Celtic in September after leaving Sevilla, following a loan spell at Middlesbrough. Celtic held an option to extend his stay by a further year, but that deadline passed without being triggered. Even then, the door at Parkhead did not close.

Manager Martin O’Neill made it clear he wanted Iheanacho to remain in Glasgow and confirmed a new offer had been put on the table. Celtic were prepared to keep him. The decision, ultimately, was the player’s.

He chose a different path.

Last week, Iheanacho completed his move to Bursaspor, champions of the TFF Second League last season and a club with ambitions of climbing straight back to the Turkish Super Lig with a second successive promotion. For a side on the rise, landing a forward with his pedigree marks a statement of intent.

In his first interview as a Bursaspor player, Iheanacho did not hide his enthusiasm. He spoke of his happiness and excitement at the switch and underlined the scale of the club he has joined, saying: “To be fair, Bursaspor is a big club in Turkey and I had heard that they had previously won the Turkish Super Lig.”

A new league, a club chasing its way back to the top, and a striker determined enough to instruct his agent to force the move through: Bursaspor know exactly what they are getting — and exactly where they want him to take them.