Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has completed a surprise move to Turkish club Bursaspor after rejecting a new contract offer from Scottish champions Celtic.
Bursaspor confirmed the signing of the 29-year-old on Friday, unveiling the Nigerian international in the club’s famous green and white colours following their promotion to Turkey’s second division.
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The move brings an end to Iheanacho’s short spell at Celtic, where he played a key role in helping the Glasgow giants secure a domestic league and cup double despite an injury-disrupted campaign.
Celtic had offered the former Manchester City and Leicester City forward a new deal after his impressive impact last season, but he opted to continue his career in Turkey.
The transfer comes at a difficult time for Celtic, with chief executive Michael Nicholson recently admitting the club was struggling to strengthen its squad because of competition from cash-rich English Championship clubs.
So far, the Scottish champions have signed only Colombian striker Camilo Duran from Qarabag ahead of the new season.
Iheanacho joined Celtic as a free agent after leaving Sevilla in 2025 and scored nine goals in all competitions during his debut season.
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Although a hamstring injury sidelined him for a significant part of the campaign and limited him to just two starts after October, the Nigerian striker made a decisive contribution from the bench.
He scored six substitute goals as Celtic won their final nine matches to seal both the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
His departure also leaves Celtic with concerns in attack as uncertainty continues over the future of Japanese forward Daizen Maeda, who has entered the final year of his contract.
For Bursaspor, the signing of Iheanacho represents a major statement of intent as the newly promoted side prepares for life in Turkey’s second tier, with hopes of securing an immediate return to the top flight.
