Kelechi Iheanacho has opened up about the decision that took him from Scottish champions Celtic to Turkish second-division side Bursaspor, despite interest from other European clubs, Bold Sports reports.
The Nigerian forward has made an immediate impact in Turkey. He scored in Bursaspor’s 4-2 victory over Keçiörengücü on October 25, extending his scoring streak to 12 consecutive league appearances. He now has 16 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions this season, underlining the attacking threat Bursaspor secured when they signed him as a free agent.
His latest achievement comes after a career spanning England, Spain and Scotland. Iheanacho previously played for Manchester City and Leicester City before moving to Sevilla in 2024. He subsequently spent time on loan at Middlesbrough before joining Celtic in September 2025.
Why the Nigerian chose Turkey
Iheanacho spent the 2025/26 season at Celtic, where he helped the Glasgow club win domestic honours. However, contract negotiations failed to produce an agreement for him to remain at the club.
More Read
Rather than continue in Scotland, the former Super Eagles striker accepted Bursaspor’s proposal. He explained that his representatives handled the discussions and presented him with the opportunity.
Speaking on Bursaspor’s official YouTube channel, Iheanacho said:
“To be fair, I don’t talk about transfers. I really try to concentrate on my football. The transfer talks were done with the agents and directors.
“Of course, I am aware of the transfer talks. I don’t really know how they were contacted, but I was told by my agent that Bursaspor were in contact. He explained everything to me in detail. I was happy, and I said yes. It’s a good and interesting place, according to how he told me about it. We went through everything together, and we saw it was a very concrete situation.”
Club history helped seal the move
Beyond the negotiations, Bursaspor’s history also influenced Iheanacho’s decision. The club won the Turkish Süper Lig title in 2009/10, becoming the first team outside Istanbul’s traditional leading clubs to claim the championship in the modern era.
That achievement gives Bursaspor a notable place in Turkish football, despite their current second-tier status.
Explaining his decision, Iheanacho added:
“I said this is a good place to go, and they have a good history as well. Moving forward, we delayed a little bit, but in the end, here we are now, enjoying every moment of it.”
Iheanacho delivers on the pitch
The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball winner has backed his decision with exceptional performances. He scored six goals and provided seven assists during Nigeria’s victorious campaign at that tournament.
His senior career has since included an FA Cup triumph with Leicester City in 2021 and international success with Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles finished runners-up.
At Bursaspor, his immediate priority is helping the club maintain its promotion push. However, his withdrawal during the second half against Keçiörengücü raised concerns about his fitness.
Head coach Mustafa Er will assess the striker ahead of the next fixture against Bandırmaspor. Bursaspor will hope their prolific Nigerian forward can continue his remarkable scoring run.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
