Super Eagles forward Henry Onyekuru has been spotted in Turkey, amid links with Super Lig clubs Besiktas and Fenerbahce, Soccernet.ng reports.
Onyekuru has spent the last two years with Saudi Arabian club Al Fayha since leaving Super Lig side Adana Demirspor. The 27-year-old Super Eagles striker has contributed 11 goals and 3 assists in 38 appearances for the club.
However, in the just-concluded season, he struggled for game time badly, making just four appearances in the Saudi Pro League.
With the summer already here, there have been strong talks that Onyekuru will leave Al Fayha. A Super Lig return seems possible, as he has been linked with Fenerbahce and Besiktas, but nothing is concrete yet.
In fact, Besiktas released a strong statement on Monday, denying any talks with Onyekuru.
“The news published in the visual press and social media claiming that our Club has held transfer talks with professional football player Henry Onyekuru is completely unfounded,” Besiktas wrote via their X handle.
“We kindly request that all developments regarding our Football A Team be followed through our official channels and that news not shared by our Club be disregarded.”
Despite this denial, the speculations linking Onyekuru to a return to Turkey are not completely unfounded. This is as the Super Eagles is currently in Turkey. On Thursday, he shared a picture of himself in Istanbul, Turkey on his Instagram page.
This is a big pointer that a move to Turkey might be in the offing for Onyekuru.
Why Henry Onyekuru’s return to Turkey makes sense
Henry Onyekuru has to make a move this summer because he has been starved of game time at Al Fayha. And game time is crucial in the career of every footballer.
A return to Turkey looks very probable, as that is one of his best hunting grounds. He played for the reigning champions Galatasaray and won the domestic double. He is also loved by the fans there, so it would be a great opportunity to jumpstart his career.
A move to the big boys like Galatasaray and Fenerbahce seems quite unlikely though, as Onyekuru might not be at the level they want. But one of the mid-table clubs would surely fancy him due to his rich history there.
The summer transfer window will still be open for a few months, so Onyekuru will have enough time to decide his next move.