Kelechi Iheanacho joins Turkey side Bursaspor

Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho has completed a move to Turkish club Bursaspor after rejecting a new contract offer from Scottish champions Celtic.

The 29-year-old striker departs Glasgow after helping Celtic secure a domestic league and cup double in an injury-disrupted campaign.

Celtic had offered Iheanacho fresh terms in a bid to keep him at the club, but the former Leicester City and Manchester City forward opted for a new challenge in Turkey.

Bursaspor, who earned promotion to the Turkish second tier after winning the TFF Second League last season, confirmed the signing on Friday and unveiled the Nigerian in the club’s iconic green and white colours.

Iheanacho’s departure comes amid a challenging transfer window for Celtic.

On Thursday, the club’s chief executive, Michael Nicholson, admitted it was proving “difficult” to strengthen the squad because the Scottish champions are competing with financially stronger English Championship clubs in the transfer market.

So far, Celtic have made only one signing this summer, bringing in Colombian striker Camilo Duran from Qarabag for an undisclosed fee.

The Scottish side are also facing uncertainty over the future of Japan international Daizen Maeda, who is entering the final year of his contract, leaving the club with limited options in attack ahead of the new season.

Iheanacho joined Celtic as a free agent after the close of the 2025 summer transfer window following his departure from Sevilla.

Although a hamstring injury sidelined him for a significant part of the campaign and restricted him to just two starts after October, the Nigerian still made a valuable contribution.

He scored nine goals across all competitions, including six as a substitute, helping Celtic win their final nine matches on the way to securing the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.

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