Kelechi Iheanacho Joins Bursaspor After Leaving Celtic

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 arrived at Celtic in September on a one-year deal after leaving Sevilla, following a loan spell with Middlesbrough. The Scottish champions held an option to extend his stay by a further year, but that deadline passed without agreement.

Martin O'Neill later made it clear he wanted Iheanacho to remain in Glasgow and that a new offer was on the table. Celtic were prepared to keep him. The player had other ideas.

Instead, last week he signed for Bursaspor, the club that stormed to the TFF Second League title last season and now have their sights fixed on back-to-back promotions and a return to the Turkish Super Lig.

In his first interview after completing the switch, Iheanacho spoke openly about the pull of his new surroundings and the scale of the project he is joining. He described his happiness and excitement at the move and underlined the status of his new team.

"To be fair, Bursaspor is a big club in Turkey and I had heard that they had previously won the Turkish Super Lig," he said, framing his decision as a step towards a club with serious ambitions.

Celtic wanted to keep him. Bursaspor convinced him they could climb again.