Football League World
·7 October 2024
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·7 October 2024
The winger could be set for a move back to England
Norwich City are interested in signing full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel from Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
That's according to a report from Turkish outlet Fanatik, who say that French side Lens are also keen on a deal for the Nigeria international.
Osayi-Samuel made the move to Fenerbahce back in the 2021 January transfer window, when he moved from QPR.
Since then, the 26-year-old has made almost 150 appearances in all competitions for the club, and helped them win the Turkish Cup back in 2023.
However, it seems as though a return to England could potentially be on the cards for Osayi-Samuel, in the not too distant future.
As per this latest update, both Norwich and Lens are keen on deals to sign Osayi-Samuel from the summer of 2025.
Currently, the full-back's contract with Fenerbahce is due to expire at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
That of course, means foreign clubs can agree a contract with Osayi-Samuel in January, that would allow him to join them on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.
It is thought that Norwich and Lens are keen to take advantage of that, as they look to strengthen their defences.
However, Fenerbahce are apparently keen to keep the 26-year-old, and have offered him a new contract worth €2million per year.
Osayi-Samuel though, is said to be looking for around €2.5million per year, up from his current salary of €1.8million.
With negotiations ongoing, the full-back is therefore thought to be undecided about his future at Fenerbahce, with Norwich and Lens apparently also ready to offer him a contract.
Following their 4-0 thrashing of Hull City on Saturday afternoon, the Canaries are currently seventh in the Championship table, just one point adrift of the play-offs.
They will return to action after the international break on Saturday 19th October, when they travel to the Bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City.
Lens meanwhile, are sixth in the French top-flight, while Fenerbahce sit fourth in the Turkish top-tier standings.
If they can get it done, the signing of Osayi-Samuel could prove to be a useful one for Norwich City.
The 26-year-old obviously has plenty of experience of the Championship from his time at QPR, while he has also been playing at a decent level out in Turkey.
That includes a number of appearances in European competitions, and with his performances enough to make Fenerbahce want to keep him, he could surely do a job in England's second-tier.
Meanwhile, at 26-years-old he still has plenty of time remaining in his career as well, and so could become a significant asset for Norwich.
It is worth noting that while he has often played at full-back in Turkey, Osayi-Samuel showed with QPR that he can play further up the pitch as well, offering some useful versatility.
Meanwhile, if his contract situation does lead to him departing on a free transfer, there would be little financial risk associated with this deal, and it could turn into something of a bargain.
Indeed, getting him on a deal that does not involve a transfer fee could be important given some of those apparent contract demands.