Iheanacho snubs Celtic return for Turkey move

Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, has snubbed a return to Scottish champions, Celtic, to complete a surprise move to Turkish club, Bursaspor, signing a three-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2029.

Iheanacho joined Bursaspor as a free agent after his contract with Celtic expired on June 30, turning down fresh terms offered by the Scottish club, which had opted against activating an automatic 12-month extension in his previous deal.

He instead chose to move to Turkey after Bursaspor presented a significantly improved financial package.

Bursaspor announced the signing on Friday with an Odyssey-themed video across the club’s social media platforms, a move that drew attention from football fans in both Turkey and Nigeria, given that the forward will now play in the same country as Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, the most valuable player in Turkish football.

The move marks another chapter in a career that has taken Iheanacho through England, Spain and Scotland, having previously played for Manchester City, Leicester City and Sevilla before his move to Celtic.

Despite being limited by injuries during the 2025/26 season, the striker finished with nine goals in 24 appearances and earned a reputation as Celtic’s most reliable player off the bench, scoring five goals in his final eight appearances of the campaign, all as a substitute, including decisive late winners against Motherwell, Dundee and Hibernian as Celtic retained the Scottish Premiership title.

Iheanacho also converted a stoppage-time penalty in a 3-2 win over Motherwell and scored in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final, as the Glasgow club completed a domestic double.

He arrives at Bursaspor, who won the 2025/26 TFF 2. Lig title to secure automatic promotion, having shown attacking strength throughout the campaign, including an 8-0 win over Yeni Malatyaspor, though their Turkish Cup run ended in the third qualifying round following a 3-0 defeat to Antalyaspor.

The club have moved to strengthen their squad with experienced signings, with Iheanacho’s arrival regarded as a statement of intent as Bursaspor push for another promotion back towards Turkey’s top flight.