Onyekuru Returns To Monaco, After Poor Loan Spell With Galatasaray

Former Everton of England fringe player, Henry Onyekuru may eventually have to return to France this summer, following a shock decision by the top brass at Galatasaray of Turkey not to give him a full contract at the end of this season,megasportsarena.com reports.

Onyekuru had been holding out for an agreement that would see him rejoin Galatasaray fully, following his return to their squad in January, on loan from AS Monaco of France, where he failed to settle down fully in the first half of the season, after joining them from the same Turkish Super Lig club.

However, unlike the spark he had during his first spell at Galatasaray, which he had on loan from Everton, Onyekuru failed to replicate the meteoric form all through his second spell at the Istanbul-based side, and they opted against extending his stay when his loan deal officially ended on the last day of June.

This means the former KAS Eupen and RSC Anderlecht of Belgium winger-cum-attacker will now return to Monaco, where he will hope to do better in his second coming, even as the French Ligue 1 club brace for fresh challenges next season.

There is, however, mild promise of a fertile hunting ground for him back in Monte Carlo, as The Aristocrats now have another coach, Robert Moreno, who was recently Spain’s national team coach, such that Onyekuru will step into the squad on the same novel level with other players in the team.

In what should be a level playing field compared to what he faced during the first half of last season when he struggled for form, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medalist will now work hard and hope to convince ‘the new sheriff in town’ like everyone else would be eager to.

The task of his mind would be to establish himself fully this time back in Monaco and work hard to forget that his second spell at Gala was not as a successful as the first, as he managed just a single goal in 10 Super Lig appearances; which was in stark contrast with his form in the 2018/19 season, when he netted 14 times in 31 games for the Istanbul giants.

Incidentally, the 23-year-old product of Aspire Academy got only four games for Monaco before he was shipped out on loan to Gala in January, but, as he returns to the club he first joined last summer, Onyekuru is excited to learn that his preferred No.7 jersey is available for him to pick.

Information out of France further indicates that Monaco’s new coach has already spoken about the crafty lad, with a hint that he plans to build his attack around the speedy lad, who has a total haul of 52 goals from his days at Eupen, Anderlecht and Galatasaray, where a bout with malaria put paid to his hope of starting well under Fatih Terim in a six-month loan deal.

Sadly, a single goal and one assist were a far cry from his first time out, when his performances helped the club win the Turkish Lig and Cup double, thereby spurring Gala to request for him on loan from Monaco, but he failed to repeat the feat and is now heading back to France.

However, additional reports indicated that Fernebahce and Istanbul Basaksehir of Turkey have joined a host of European clubs who are willing to pay for the services of Onyekuru, following his return to Monaco after the expiration of his loan contract on June 30.

Basaksehir, who have fellow-Nigerian Azubuike Okechukwu on their cards and are set to be crowned Turkish champions Istanbul, are willing to pay Onyekuru €3m a year in a strong bid to convince him to join their continental terrain next season, but Fernebahce also hope to eke out a deal that would keep him in Turkey.

Although he found his going tough during his first spell at Monaco, sources close to Onyekuru say he is excited with his return to the French club, as he believes he has a bright future at their Stade Louis II home ground and they will now have to assure him of regular playing time.