Former Turkish referee Ahmet Cakar has warned Super Lig giants Fenerbahce against letting Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel leave the club in the coming transfer window, Footynaija.com reports.
Osayi-Samuel’s current contract with the 28-time Super Lig winners is into its final three months and the Nigeria international looks set to depart the Sukru Saracoglu Stadyumu at the end of the current campaign.
With the 24/25 season already into its closing stages in most of the major leagues across Europe including the Super Lig, Osayi-Samuel’s potential departure is imminent. Fenerbahce seem content to let the 27-year-old, who joined from EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers back in 202, leave for free.
However, Cakar, who officiated in all tiers of Turkish football as well as in the UEFA Champions League between 1981 and 1998, has urged the Yellow Navy-Blues to reconsider stance on Osayi-Samuel’s future as they would be losing the best right-back in the Super Lig.
The defender is believed to be prioritizing a move to the Premier League this summer with Nottingham Forest touted as a potential destination. However, there is also the possibility that Osayi-Samuel could join Fenerbahce’s arch rivals Galatasaray, who according to Cakar, can do with the services of the Nigerian.
“Fenerbahce would be stupid if they left Osayi-Samuel to Galatasaray,” the 62-year-old said as per Sokgazetesi.
“In my opinion, he is the best right-back in the league right now. If he were Turkish, he would play as a bench player in the national team.
“Szalai played in that position for Galatasaray in their last match, and Osayi-Samuel contributes three to four times more than him. The difference in quality is clear.”
