AFCON 2025
Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho is set to earn a decent amount of money after completing a move to Turkish second-division club Bursaspor. Although the figure is not comparable to his previous earnings years ago, the striker will still be pleased after his resurgence at Celtic last season, where he helped the Scottish giants to a domestic double.
Bursaspor president Enes Çelik confirmed that new signing Iheanacho will earn a guaranteed yearly paycheck of €1.4 million (roughly N2.2 billion) after signing his contract last week.
The Super Eagles forward completed a switch to Bursaspor on a three-year deal after parting ways with Celtic, despite the Scottish champions’ desire to keep him following a strong 2025/2026 season.
Iheanacho had a very decent spell in Scotland, producing several important displays that helped Celtic land the Championship and the League Cup.
Speculation over his next move grew after Celtic decided not to trigger the extension clause in his contract at the end of the season, even though talks over a fresh deal remained ongoing.
In the end, the former Leicester City and Sevilla man opted to extend his career in Turkey, signing on with Bursaspor through the summer of 2029.
Speaking at a press conference at Topuk Yaylası, where Bursaspor are running their preseason training camp, Çelik detailed the work behind the transfer and voiced his satisfaction at landing the Nigerian international.
“We have been in contact with Kelechi Iheanacho for 40 days,” Çelik said. “It was a bit difficult. I just watched his training session in terms of shooting. He feels different.”
“Furkan Akın had serious contacts regarding the Iheanacho transfer. I thank them all. I thank our football department and our Administrative Manager.”
Çelik also broke down the financial side of the deal, stressing that the club balanced its financial structure with the need to bring in a player of Iheanacho’s caliber.
“It was important to handle it in a way that was in Bursaspor’s best interests. Iheanacho has a guaranteed salary agreement with us of 1.4 million euros,” he revealed.
“We made a 3-year agreement. There are players in our league who earn 2.2 million euros but are not even half as good as Iheanacho. We are also considering the club’s financial structure.”
As the new season nears, Iheanacho will look to carry his Celtic form into Turkey and reward Bursaspor’s confidence in him by establishing himself as a central figure in their attack for the 2026/2027 Süper Lig campaign.
