Football
Eren Sarigul, ESPN.com writer 6y

Galatasaray announce Henry Onyekuru talks with Everton

Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray have begun official talks with Everton over a loan deal for Nigeria striker Henry Onyekuru.

Sources confirmed to ESPN that Onyekuru travelled to Istanbul on Monday morning. The 21-year-old passed his medical and is expected to be announced as a Galatasaray player over the next 48 hours.

An agreement between the Lions and Onyekuru has already been reached and the Turkish giants are confident Everton will not block the move, sources said.

The Turkish club want a buyout option but it remains to be seen whether the Toffees will agree to including an exit fee.

Galatasaray released a statement on the Istanbul stock exchange confirming that talks with Everton are underway. The Lions are obliged to make a statement on the stock exchange prior to announcing a transfer deal as they are a listed company.

The statement read: "Official talks with Everton FC are underway regarding the loan transfer of Henry Chukwuemeka Onyekuru."

Onyekuru will not be able to play in the Premier League next season because he does not have a work permit.

The Nigeria striker was also offered to Fenerbahce and Besiktas.

Besiktas held talks with Onyekuru's representatives at the end of May but the sticking point proved to be a lack of Champions League football.

The agents involved in proposing the striker to Besiktas and Fenerbahce are not involved in the Galatasaray talks, which could prove contentious but is unlikely to derail the move, sources said.

Galatasaray presented a more attractive proposal with guaranteed Champions League group stage football.

Onyekuru was expected to return to Anderlecht on loan but fell out with the Belgium outfit after accusing the club of intentionally not playing him.

The Everton starlet felt that he missed out on being selected for the Nigeria World Cup squad after Anderlecht refused to play him despite recovering from injury. burning bridges with his former club, for whom he scored nine goals in 19 apperances.

Onyekuru told Het Laatste Nieuws: "Anderlecht knew I needed the World Cup to get a work permit to play in England, and by not making me play, the chances of going to Russia were nil, and so I could not join the Premier League, that may be how Anderlecht hope to keep me for another year, a ridiculous reasoning: I can go anywhere."

The Toffees signed Onyekuru from KAS Eupen for a £6.8 million fee, but the striker has yet to make an appearance for the Merseyside-based side.

^ Back to Top ^