Celtic lose Iheanacho to Turkish second tier as CEO flags English wealth

Kelechi Iheanacho has rejected a new contract with Scottish champions Celtic to join Bursaspor, a club newly promoted to Turkey’s second tier. The 29-year-old Nigerian striker was a crucial part of the Glasgow side’s domestic double last season. Bursaspor, who won the TFF Second League, confirmed the signing and paraded the forward in their own green and white hoops.

For a European football business perspective, the move is a stark illustration of the financial pressures facing clubs outside of Europe’s wealthiest leagues. A player opting for Turkey’s second division rather than staying with a reigning domestic champion points to a highly competitive and fragmented transfer market.

Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson publicly highlighted these market dynamics on Tuesday. He stated that it is proving "difficult" to add to the squad this summer. Nicholson directly blamed the friction of competing against "big-spending English Championship clubs" for players, a financial reality that limits Celtic's ability to retain squad depth.

The club's transfer activity reflects these constraints. Celtic have made just one signing this summer: Colombian striker Camilo Duran, acquired from Qarabag for an undisclosed fee. This lack of incoming talent leaves the club notably short of centre-forward options just weeks before the new season begins.

Iheanacho originally joined from Sevilla in 2025 as a free agent after the summer transfer window closed. He scored nine goals despite missing a large portion of the campaign with a hamstring injury, starting only two games after October. Crucially, he scored six goals as a substitute during the final nine games of the season to clinch the league and cup Double.

His departure weakens the squad's attacking depth at a time when the club's asset management is also under scrutiny. Daizen Maeda, the Japan international, is entering the final year of his contract. If Maeda is not renewed, Celtic risk losing another key forward for nothing, compounding the squad-building challenge created by the financial might of their English rivals.