Photo caption: Bright Osayi-Samuel
Nigeria international full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel has joined Birmingham City on a three-year deal following the conclusion of his contract at Fenerbahce, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 27-year-old moves to St Andrew’s after making 178 appearances in four and a half years for the Turkish side now coached by Jose Mourinho, following his move from Queens Park Rangers in January 2021.
Osayi-Samuel, who can play as a right-back, wing-back and as a winger, becomes Blues’ fourth signing this week following the arrivals of Demarai Gray, Tommy Doyle and James Beadle as they prepare for life back in the second tier after securing the League One title last season.
“I want to play in the Premier League and show everyone what I can do,” Osayi-Samuel told Birmingham’s website. “Coming to Birmingham City now is another step for me, an opportunity to show everyone where I’ve been for the last four years.”
The defender’s experience in Turkish football will be valuable for Birmingham as they look to establish themselves back in the Championship. During his time at Fenerbahce, he featured regularly for the Istanbul giants and gained valuable European experience.
His transfer comes after a failed move to Turkish giants Beşiktaş collapsed due to controversial last-minute demands.
According to Haberler.com, Osayi-Samuel had reportedly reached an agreement in principle to sign a three-year contract with Beşiktaş worth €1.9m per season, with the club also agreeing to a signing-on bonus of around €1m. However, just before the transfer was finalised, the player’s father and representative, Nelson Osayi, reportedly demanded an additional €300,000 per season, a move that infuriated the Beşiktaş hierarchy and scuttled the agreement.
Beşiktaş president Serdal Adalı was quoted as saying the club ended talks due to the unreasonable nature of the last-minute demands from the player’s camp.
“We decided to halt the transfer due to the unreasonable last-minute requests from Osayi Samuel’s father,” he said, as cited by Haberler.com.
The Super Eagles right-back subsequently requested a fresh meeting with Adalı in an attempt to salvage the move, insisting he was unaware of the demands made by his father.
The Turkish outlet reported that Osayi-Samuel told Adalı, “My dad called without telling me and cancelled the transfer; I have no knowledge of what happened. Let’s talk again.”
However, the Beşiktaş president refused to reopen negotiations, stating clearly that the club had moved on from the deal. Osayi-Samuel’s plea to reopen discussions was swiftly rejected, paving the way for his eventual move to Birmingham.
Osayi-Samuel will now link up with his new teammates at their training camp in Portugal, where they are preparing for the upcoming season. The player is no stranger to English football, having previously featured for Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers before his move to Turkey.
His signing represents a significant coup for Birmingham City, who have been active in the transfer market as they prepare for their return to the Championship. The club’s ambition to eventually reach the Premier League aligns with Osayi-Samuel’s own stated objectives.
The 27-year-old has made 22 appearances for Nigeria since his debut in 2022 and was part of the squad which finished runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
