Celtic boss reveals why Super Eagles star Iheanacho left for Bursaspor

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has opened up on Kelechi Iheanacho's departure from the Scottish champions, revealing why the club failed to keep the Nigerian striker before his surprise move to Turkish side Bursaspor.

Iheanacho, who enjoyed an impressive spell with Celtic despite battling injuries throughout the campaign, recently completed a transfer to the newly promoted Turkish second-tier club after the Scottish champions decided against activating the extension clause in his contract.

The Super Eagles forward had attracted interest from Celtic following his performances last season, but negotiations ultimately collapsed, paving the way for his move to Turkey.

Speaking to the Daily Record, O'Neill disclosed that he initially believed an agreement had been reached to keep Iheanacho at Celtic Park.

However, the proposed deal failed to materialise, forcing the club to part ways with the former Manchester City and Leicester City striker.

"There are always two sides to every transfer," O'Neill said.

He continued, "He's gone. I thought we had a deal with him at the time, but that wasn't the case, and so he's gone to pastures new."

According to reports, Iheanacho was seeking wages of around £50,000 per week, a figure Celtic were unwilling to match.

O'Neill explained that although the club possessed an option to extend the striker's stay, doing so would have required both parties to agree on terms similar to his previous contract.

"The option ran out, that's fine. But the option would be to take someone on similar terms to before, so that's where the difference was," he explained.

Although injuries limited Iheanacho's opportunities to start matches, O'Neill praised the striker's contribution whenever he came off the bench.

"Kelechi did terrifically well for us as an impact player coming on," O'Neill added.

The manager also admitted he would have welcomed the opportunity to work with the Nigerian during pre-season.

He said, "He started one game in my two spells against Dundee United, but it would have been nice to have him for pre-season."

Iheanacho now faces the challenge of helping Bursaspor push for promotion to the Turkish Süper Lig.

The Nigerian forward brings a wealth of experience, having previously played for Manchester City, Leicester City, and Celtic, while also representing the Super Eagles at major international tournaments.