Kelechi Iheanacho rejects new Celtic deal to join Bursaspor
Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho has turned down a contract extension with Celtic to sign for Turkish side Bursaspor.
SNS
Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho has turned down a new contract offer from Celtic and completed a move to Turkish side Bursaspor. The club, recently promoted to the Turkish second tier, have already unveiled the 29-year-old forward in their green and white kit.
The Scottish champions had tabled an extension for the striker after he contributed to their domestic double last season. Despite an injury-plagued campaign, Iheanacho scored nine goals, including six crucial strikes off the bench during Celtic's final nine-match winning streak.
This departure compounds transfer challenges for Celtic. Chief executive Michael Nicholson recently admitted that strengthening the squad is proving difficult due to intense competition from big-spending English Championship clubs. To date, Celtic’s only summer signing has been Colombian striker Camilo Duran.
The club remains thin on centre-forward options as the new season approaches, with uncertainty also surrounding the future of Daizen Maeda, who is entering the final year of his current deal.