Super Eagles winger Henry Onyekuru could soon become a free agent after Turkish Süper Lig club Gençlerbirliği started talks to end his contract following a disappointing first season, Soccernet.ng reports.
According to reports from Turkey, Gençlerbirliği have invited Onyekuru’s representative to Ankara to discuss a mutual agreement that would allow both sides to go their separate ways before the start of the 2026/27 season.
The club recently began pre-season preparations and is also preparing for its first friendly match, but Onyekuru is no longer part of the plans for the new campaign. Club officials believe ending his contract is the best solution after his difficult season.
Reports also say Gençlerbirliği must pay the Nigerian winger €240,000 by Tuesday, July 14. If the payment is not made before the deadline, Onyekuru will reportedly be released from his contract.
Turkish outlet Spor Depor also reported that preliminary discussions have already taken place between the club and the player’s camp, with both parties talking through the conditions needed to complete the contract termination.
The decision comes after Gençlerbirliği finished the 2025/26 Turkish Süper Lig season in 14th place with 34 points, narrowly avoiding relegation and immediately beginning plans to rebuild the squad for next season.
Super Eagles’ Onyekuru: A difficult season after a career filled with success
Onyekuru joined Gençlerbirliği from Saudi Arabian club Al-Fayha during the summer of 2025, hoping to revive his career in Turkish football. However, things did not go as planned.
The 29-year-old featured in only 19 matches in all competitions, playing a total of just 433 minutes. He finished the season without scoring a single goal or providing an assist.
His campaign was affected by injuries, limited playing time and several occasions when he was left out of the matchday squad.
The struggles are a sharp contrast to earlier stages of his career. Onyekuru first caught Europe’s attention at Belgian club Eupen, where he scored 22 league goals during the 2016/17 season. His performances earned him a move to Premier League side Everton, although work permit issues prevented him from making a competitive appearance for the English club.
He later enjoyed the best spell of his career at Galatasaray, helping the Istanbul giants win the Turkish Süper Lig title and Turkish Cup during the 2018/19 season after scoring 14 league goals. He also won the Belgian Super Cup with Anderlecht and the Greek Super League title with Olympiacos.
After spells with Monaco, Adana Demirspor and Saudi club Al-Fayha, Onyekuru returned to Turkey hoping to rediscover his best form. Instead, his time at Gençlerbirliği has been one of the toughest periods of his professional career.
Despite his club struggles, Onyekuru has represented Nigeria 16 times at senior level and scored two goals for the Super Eagles. He was also part of the Nigerian squad that won the bronze medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
If the contract termination is completed in the coming days, the experienced winger will begin searching for a new club where he can restart his career and work his way back into the Super Eagles picture.
