Football: Nigerian international Bright Osayi-Samuel joins Championship outfit Birmingham City on three-year deal
Osayi-Samuel set for return to English football
The English summer transfer window is in full swing, and we have already had several blockbuster moves completed as teams across the various leagues look to bolster their squads ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Over the weekend, we saw the latest EFL Championship transfer deal completed, with Birmingham City signing Nigerian international Bright Osayi-Samuel on a three-year deal following his contract expiration with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
The 27-year-old made 178 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side across all competitions and is now set to return to the English first division after four years, having played for Queens Park Rangers before heading to the Super Lig in 2021. Speaking to the media after confirmation of his new deal, Osayi-Samuel said:
“I want to play in the Premier League and show everyone what I can do. Coming to Birmingham City now is another step for me, an opportunity to show everyone where I’ve been for the last four years.”
Osayi-Samuel’s move to St Andrew's came as something of a surprise, as he had been heavily linked with Besiktas, with whom he had reached an agreement in principle to join. However, it is understood that the deal fell through at the last minute.
Reports suggest that the Super Eagles defender had settled on a contract worth €1.9m per season with the Black Eagles, but a late alteration in demands by his agent and father, Nelson Osayi, led to the club pulling out of the deal.
Following Besiktas’ confirmation of scrapping their offer, Osayi-Samuel revealed that he was unaware of the new demands made by his father and requested a further meeting with the club. Unfortunately, Besiktas’ president refused to reopen negotiations.
Busy summer at St Andrew's as Blues aim for back-to-back promotions
After earning promotion back to the English second tier last season, Birmingham City’s recruitment team have been very busy in the transfer market over the last few weeks, with Osayi-Samuel being the fourth new addition the club has made this month.
The Blues have also secured the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, who spent just six months with Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. The Japanese midfielder signed a three-year deal at St Andrew's and expressed his willingness to help his new employers succeed in their goal of returning to the Premier League. He said:
“I’m here to help the team. I’d like to express what I can do on the pitch. I don’t want to talk a lot, but there’s a chance that we can go up to the Premier League. We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that.”
Birmingham’s other signings for the upcoming season include a loan deal for shot-stopper James Beadle and a €3.5m deal for Demarai Gray, who will be returning to England following a two-year stint in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ettifaq.
