By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria international Bright Osayi-Samuel is set to join Crystal Palace on a four-year deal, turning down interest from Everton and West Ham, according to reports from Nigeriafootball.ng.
The 26-year-old Fenerbahçe defender will leave the Turkish Super Lig side this summer after declining to extend his contract.
Turkish outlet Fotomac reports that negotiations between Osayi-Samuel’s representatives and Crystal Palace are in advanced stages.
The deal is expected to earn the versatile right-back an annual salary of €4.5 million.
Osayi-Samuel, who began his career in England with Blackpool and later Queens Park Rangers, moved to Fenerbahçe in 2020.
Since joining the Istanbul-based club, he has made 116 appearances and scored 16 goals.
Despite interest from several Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Everton, and West Ham, the Super Eagles defender appears to have chosen Selhurst Park as his next destination.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
