New signing at Olympiakos of Greece, Henry Onyekuru has received a tag of ‘international ace’ from the Greek Super League club, megasportsaena.com reports.
The new tag was appended to Onyekuru’s name in an official statement issued by Olympiakos to formally announce his arrival from AS Monaco of France on a four-year deal that will see him star for the Greek Super League champions on full contract terms.
The deal also comes after two loan spells with Galatasaray of Turkey, but he struggled for form this past campaign in the Turkish Süper Lig side, which occasioned the 24-year-old desire for a new lease of life and eventual move to Greece.
The Greek champions stated: “The Olympiacos FC announces the acquisition of international ace, Henry Onyekuru. The Nigerian, born on June 5, 1997 in Lagos, was acquired by Monaco while signing a four-year contract.”
Onyekuru responded by declaring that he wants to emulate the Nigerian stars hat have played for Olympiakos in the past and even go steps further than they did, as he aims to make the best of the deal with the club that had been on his trail since the start of the summer.
They initially encountered difficulties getting the deal over the line because of Monaco’s huge asking price he was also on the wish list of Besiktas and Fernebahce of Turkey, but he is now relishing his confirmation by The Red & Whites.
Olympiakos, who will feature in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, paid 4.5m euro for Onyekuru, which is a huge knockdown price to the 13.5m euro Monaco splashed out to get him two years ago.
Galatasaray did not active the buy-out option to sign him permanently for 4.3m euro at the end of last season and Monaco on Monday officially confirmed his departure to Greece.
The deft winger-cum-attacker, who spent the 2020/21 season on-loan with Galatasaray before he returned to Monaco, will now hope to make the best of the £5m transfer fee Olympiakos paid Galatasaray for his services.
The fee had initially been higher than that, but Gala had to settle for less after they failed to get any of the suitors pay up the original buy-out option for Onyekuru, whose loan contract ended with the past season and he had to return to Monaco.
‘The Aristocrats,’ though, opted to sell the maverick lad, who made 71 appearances during his time with Galatasaray, for which he scored 22 goals, provided 12 assists, won the Super Lig and Turkish Cup, as he lifted two trophies during his time in Istanbul.
In the wake of the confirmed deal, Onyekuru quickly went on to outline the priorities and targets he wants to achieve with the Greek Super League outfit, where he believes he can enact a rush of goals in the coming season.
Although he struggled for form during his third stint on loan at Galatasaray of Turkey and quickly asked for a full transfer from his parent club, AS Monaco of France, Onyekuru believes he still has lots of goals in his boots.
With that conviction top of his mind, the former KAS Eupen and RSC Anderlecht of Belgium star, who once had a full contract with Everton of England but never played a match for them, added that he wants to help Olympiakos snatch trophies this season.
The new arrival also received a new tag of ‘international ace’ appended to his name in an official statement issued by Olympiakos to formally announce his arrival on a deal that will see him star for the Greek Super League champions on full contract terms.
He takes after Rashidi Yekini, James Obiorah, Michael Olaitan, Haruna Babangida, Emmanuel Emenike and Aide Brown Ideye as the next Nigerian to play for Olympiakos, where the product of Aspire Football Academy admits a rain of goals off his boots would help his new club excel.
He expressed delight with Galatasaray for accepting him in three separate deals, one on loan from Everton, the next a full contract and the third on loan from Monaco, which he also thanked for allowing him move to Olympiakos, after an agreement was arrived at between both clubs.
The 24-year-old Super Eagles’ winger added that he enjoyed every bit of his stay in the Turkish Süper Lig side and, though he could not help Galatasaray to the title last season, as they were pipped on goal difference by fellow-Istanbul-based rivals, Beşiktaş, he is now thinking of a making a better impact in Greece.
The latest deal also sees Onyekuru leave the Principality of France two years after his arrival from Everton, but he made only eight appearances in the French Ligue 1, mostly due to injury and loss of form, before returning to Galatasaray after a season-long loan in 2018/19.
He landed in Greece on Sunday evening, after Galatasaray, with which he scored five goals in 14 matches last season, failed in their bid to get another temporary offer for him from Monaco, as The Blood & Gold approached the French side, but they insisted on selling him instead.
His four year contract at Olympiakos will run until June 30, 2025, as he eventually signed with the Athens-based club that he initially snubbed, after he failed to seal a desired move with either Besiktas and Fenerbahçe, which both expressed interest in his signature.
Consequently, Onyekuru has quickly turned his focus on achieving more with his latest club, even as he declared that he is ready to hit the ground running and wants to start justifying their trust in him by doing well in this weekend’s game against Ludogorets.
Onyekuru shared a photo of him with Gala’s coach, Fatih Terim, with a message of gratitude and then turned in a pledge for his new club, stating: “Thanks for everything and good luck.
“I am happy to be here. I want to help the team in our championship goals. We want to go as far as we can in the European cups. I think I will be ready in the Ludogotets games.
“I know it’s a big club in Greece, the biggest, and have good ambition, target every season and always in the Champions League.
“I know of two Nigerians who played here before and I’m just here to contribute and to give one hundred percent, become a champion countless times, achieve my goals and aim with the club.”
