Bright Osayi-Samuel Premier League Return on the Horizon

Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel has been impressive with the Turkish giants, Fenerbahce, since joining from QPR in 2021. However, the 25-year-old is now ready to head back to England, where Brentford and Fulham are jostling for his signature

Though he was recently linked with a move to  the Scottish side, Glasgow Rangers, but Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel has revealed his ambition to play in the English Premier League amid transfer links to top European clubs.

The Nigerian star’s impressive performance has attracted the interest of Brentford FC and AFC Bournemouth, who will be locking horns in this summer transfer window to secure the services of the Nigerian wing-back.

In an exclusive interview with Soccernet, the former Queens Park Rangers defender, who moved to  the Turkish side in 2021, crushed his transfer link to Glasgow Rangers by revealing that his ambition is to play for a Premier League club.

The Nigerian international made a good impression of himself with his abilities when he single-handedly mounted pressure on Guinea-Bissau’s defence to secure a victory for Jose Peseiro’s men’s defence in the second leg of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

However, the Turkish giants who still enjoy these impressive performances at the Ulker Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium have trashed his early move to Bournemouth during the January transfer window with their persistence to not sell him for a fee lesser than €12 million.

However, Brentford put out the needed sum, satisfying the demand of the Istanbul-based club and the front-runner in the battle to recruit him ahead of the Scottish side, Rangers.

Osayi-Samuel, when asked about his ambition to play in the Premier League, said, “I think everyone knows that my ambition is to play English football, to play in the English Premier League, you know. No disrespect they (Fenerbahçe) have done so much for me there (in Turkey). But my ambition is to play in the Premier League. So, when I feel that the time is the right time for me to go, I will take it.”

The Nigerian star joined Fenerbahçe for a fee in the region of €508k from QPR, and the 2022-23 Turkish Cup winner will have the best time to cash in on him this summer if European teams seek his services.

Though he was born in Nigeria but moved to England at a young age of nine but playing for Nigeria has always been his dream as he is also qualified to represent England by naturalisation. After waiting endlessly for a callup from the country of his parents, his hope started dwindling. Osayi-Samuel’s patience eventually paid off after he was invited for the Super Eagles friendly against Portugal.

Osayi-Samuel’s expectation of a Super Eagles’ callup was high during the Nigeria’s failed 2022 World Cup campaign but it was not to be. The Okija-born player’s direction was eventually looked at for the friendly against Portugal at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

The 24-year-old could not hide his excitement at first national team call-up, and he has expressed readiness to add his quota to make the team stronger.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Osayi-Samuel had told NFF TV.

“I’ve always said that I’ve always wanted to play for my country so I’m happy to have gotten the opportunity to show what I’m all about.

“I want to do my best, show what I’m capable of, bring my quality into the team and make the team stronger.”

The Okija-born defender has spent a huge chunk of his life abroad, but he is enthusiastic about playing for Nigeria

Osayi-Samuel was born in Nigeria, but he left the country when he was nine years old. The 24-year-old versatile player had stints at Blackpool and Queen Park Rangers before joining Turkish giants Fenerbahce in 2021.

The Okija-born star has made waves in Turkey since his move to Fernarbache.

Osayi-Samuel’s brilliance did not go unnoticed, as he was rewarded with a maiden call-up to the Super Eagles during Nigeria’s international friendly game against Portugal.

The 24-year-old has revealed how Jose Peseiro persuaded him to play for Nigeria.

“I’m delighted to be here, I’ve always said I would like to play for my country and I’m happy to get the opportunity to show what I’m all about,” he said on NFF TV.

“My invitation to the Super Eagles, I knew about it like a month or two months ago, the coach (Jose Peseiro) called my coach because they knew each other and said he wants to know if I’m interested to play for Nigeria.

“And by the time he asked me I already knew my answer, I’m a Nigerian and I’m proud being a Nigerian when the opportunity came to play for the country I’m in.

Osayi-Samuel started his professional career with Blackpool in 2015. He also played for Queens Park Rangers in England before joining Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super Lig in 2021.

The versatile full-back who can also play as a midfielder has made 21 appearances for Fenerbahçe in all competitions this season.

Osayi-Samuel left English football to join Turkish side Fenerbahce in 2021 for just €560,000.

That move has yielded results for the right-footed midfielder-turned-defender, as he has grown in leaps and bounds since he moved to the Super Lig.

Osayi-Samuel started his career as a midfielder but at Fenerbahce, he usually features as a right-back or a right wing-back.

The former QPR man is endowed with pace, hitting peak speeds of 29km/h. Osayi-Samuel also has quick feet and great ball control.

He has excelled this season, and the interest from big clubs in England hasn’t gone away as Premier League clubs remain keen.

His excellent form might not be a shock to anyone who watched him in England but it might be more of a surprise to learn he has turned himself into one of the Super Lig’s leading right-backs.

A winger by trade, Osayi-Samuel broadly played in his natural position last season, but when Vitor Pereira arrived last summer, the Portuguese manager switched formation to a rough 3-4-3 and needed a right wing-back.

“That’s not usually my position,” Osayi-Samuel says. “I’ve been an out-and-out winger. He wanted me to come back as a full-back when we didn’t have the ball. He started teaching me the basics of defending, and from there I started playing as a wing-back.”

“There are times when I’m dropping back and I can see the wingers have chances to score, and I’m like, ‘I want to be there’. But I still enjoy it. I’m still learning every day.

“There are obviously places where I have to think a bit more about what I’m doing. I still try to be the same — I try to be confident on the ball, and sometimes I do take risks. Sometimes I try things I’m not supposed to, and if it comes off then nobody complains but if it doesn’t… well, that’s the job of a footballer — it’s about taking risks.”

“I always think if you can play in different positions, it shows how versatile you are. I don’t have any complaints playing full-back.”

Meanwhile, Fenerbache seem to be already getting set for life without Osayi-Samuel with reports that they will snap up Rick Karsdrop from AS Roma as a direct replacement for the Super Eagles defender.

Karsdrop is not happy at Roma because of his problems with coach Jose Mourinho.

The experienced Dutch man will first be taken on loan by Fenerbache with an option for a permanent transfer thereafter.