Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has opened up on why he turned down a move to Turkish giants Besiktas in favour of joining English side Birmingham City, citing personal reasons tied to negative media coverage in Turkey.
The 27-year-old full-back recently sealed a transfer to Birmingham’s St Andrew’s Stadium after spending over four years with Fenerbahce, where he made 178 appearances since arriving from Queens Park Rangers in January 2021. Fenerbahce is now managed by José Mourinho.
Speaking with the Birmingham Mail, Osayi-Samuel explained that while there was genuine interest from Besiktas, a rival club to his former side, he ultimately rejected the offer due to damaging reports in the Turkish media involving his family.
“I played four years at Fenerbahce, and they did a lot for me, so it was impossible for me to go, but then they made an article saying my dad was asking for too much money, and that’s just the Turkish way,” he said.
“The Turkish media, I’ve had a lot of issues with them. Maybe they are picking on me or something,” Osayi-Samuel added.
“There was interest from Besiktas, which is the rival of my team, and they wanted to sign me and spoke to my agent, but I never had interest in going there.”
Osayi-Samuel’s move to Birmingham City marks a return to English football, and he’s expected to play a key role in the club’s plans for the upcoming season.
