Turkish club Bursaspor have beaten Scottish champions Celtic to the signing of Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho after offering improved financial terms, Footy-Africa can exclusively report.
The 28-year-old became a free agent after his contract expired following a season at Celtic, having previously left Sevilla before a brief spell on loan at Middlesbrough.
Iheanacho signed a one-year deal with Celtic last summer, with the Scottish Premiership champions holding an option to extend his stay by a further year.
The striker endured an injury-disrupted campaign but recovered to play a key role in Celtic’s domestic double, scoring seven goals across all competitions.
Footy-Africa earlier reported Iheanacho had hoped to remain at Celtic and expected the club to open talks over a new deal. Although the Scottish side retained an interest in keeping him, they were also exploring other attacking options.
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However, Celtic are understood to have made an offer earlier this week, but Bursaspor and a French club had already entered advanced negotiations with the former Manchester City and Leicester City forward. Sources informed Footy-Africa the Turkish club presented a more attractive financial package without tax.
According to sources, Iheanacho ultimately chose Bursaspor after they offered him a three-year contract, compared with the one-year proposal from Celtic. The Turkish club also presented significantly improved salary terms, with the financial package proving decisive.
Talks with Celtic are understood to have made little progress before Bursaspor moved into pole position. By the time the Scottish champions intensified their efforts, negotiations with the Turkish side had already reached an advanced stage.
The opportunity to play in Turkey alongside fellow Nigeria internationals Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Osimhen, Paul Onuachu and Chibuike Nwaiwu also influenced Iheanacho’s decision. Bursaspor’s ambition of securing promotion back to the Turkish Super Lig is understood to have been another key factor behind the move.
