By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Newly promoted Turkish Super Lig side Gençlerbirliği SK are reportedly on the verge of signing Nigerian winger Henry Onyekuru on a one-year deal, with an option for an additional year based on performance-related clauses.
Onyekuru, 28, has been at the center of transfer speculation throughout the summer, with reports linking him to several Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahçe, Alanyaspor, and Besiktas — the latter of whom have publicly denied any interest.
Despite the growing list of suitors, no firm agreement had been reached until now. According to Ajansspor, Gençlerbirliği have made significant progress in talks with the former Super Eagles forward, who is currently a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha.
The report also credits former teammate Peter Etebo with playing a pivotal role in facilitating the move, leveraging his relationship with Onyekuru to help broker discussions between the player and club officials.
Should the deal be finalized, it would mark Onyekuru’s return to Turkish football — a league where he previously enjoyed spells with Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
