Why I Chose Bursaspor Over Celtic – Iheanacho

Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho has disclosed that he was fully committed to joining Turkish club Bursaspor, revealing that he instructed his agent to do everything possible to complete the transfer despite receiving a fresh contract proposal from Scottish champions Celtic.

According to Ireporter Online, the 29-year-old forward recently signed a one-year contract with Bursaspor after ending his stint at Celtic, where he had joined last September following his departure from Sevilla after a loan spell at Middlesbrough.

Although Celtic allowed the option to extend his contract by an additional year to lapse, manager Martin O’Neill later confirmed that the club still wanted to retain the Nigerian international and had presented him with a new offer.

However, Iheanacho opted for a move to Bursaspor, citing the Turkish club’s ambitious long-term vision as the key factor behind his decision. The club is aiming to secure consecutive promotions after winning the TFF Second League title last season.

Speaking in his first interview since completing the move, the former Super Eagles striker described Bursaspor as one of Turkey’s historic clubs and said its plans to return to the Turkish Super Lig and eventually compete in European competitions greatly appealed to him.

He explained that once he learned about the club’s project, he immediately instructed his representative to ensure the transfer was completed, adding that his primary objective is to help Bursaspor achieve promotion to the top flight.

Iheanacho also noted the resemblance between Bursaspor’s green-and-white colours and those of Celtic, describing the similarity as an interesting coincidence while acknowledging the slight difference in the shade of green used by both clubs.

Reports in Turkey had claimed the striker would earn £47,000 per week at Bursaspor, but club president Enes Celik dismissed the figures, stating that Iheanacho’s annual salary is £1.2 million, equivalent to about £23,000 per week. Celik maintained that the Nigerian chose the club because of its footballing ambition rather than more financially rewarding offers elsewhere.

Reacting to the striker’s departure, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill admitted the transfer did not unfold as anticipated, saying the club believed an agreement had been reached before Iheanacho eventually decided to continue his career in Turkey.