Osimhen's teammate names Onuachu among his toughest opponents

Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu has earned another major vote of confidence after Galatasaray defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı named the Nigerian as one of the toughest forwards he has faced in the Turkish Super Lig.

The towering striker's outstanding performances for Trabzonspor during the 2025/26 campaign clearly left a lasting impression on one of the league's most experienced defenders.

Bardakcı, who plays alongside fellow Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray, was asked to identify the strikers who had caused him the most problems during his career.

The Turkish international did not hesitate to include Onuachu among the most challenging opponents he has encountered.

"Marcao gave me a lot of trouble in the Karagümrük match," Bardakcı said via Le Marca Sports. "Last year, Onuachu too."

The praise comes after Onuachu enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career in Turkey, consistently troubling opposition defences with his aerial dominance, physical presence and clinical finishing.

Onuachu finished the 2025/26 Super Lig campaign with an impressive 22 goals and two assists in just 30 league appearances.

His prolific form helped Trabzonspor secure a third-place finish while re-establishing himself as one of the division's most feared strikers.

Those performances have also attracted significant transfer interest, with clubs from Saudi Arabia reportedly monitoring the Nigerian international's situation ahead of the new season.

Despite the growing speculation surrounding his future, Onuachu will be focused on carrying his goalscoring form into the 2026/27 campaign, whether he remains at Trabzonspor or secures a new challenge elsewhere.

Having now received public praise from one of Galatasaray's defensive leaders, the Super Eagles forward's reputation as one of the Turkish league's most difficult strikers to contain continues to grow.