Bright Osayi-Samuel, a defender for the Super Eagles, revealed that he chose to sign with Birmingham instead of Besiktas due to negative portrayals of his family by the Turkish media. The 27-year-old player transferred to St Andrew’s after a stint of 178 appearances over four and a half years, during which he played under Jose Mourinho after moving from Queens Park Rangers in January 2021. In an interview with Birmingham Mail, the Nigerian international shared that the Turkish media reported a story claiming his father was asking for more money during negotiations with Besiktas. “I spent four years at Fenerbahce, and they have done so much for me that leaving was not an option. However, an article came out claiming my dad was demanding too much money, which is typical of the Turkish media,” the ex-QPR defender mentioned in remarks shared by Birmingham Mail. “I’ve had numerous problems with the Turkish press.” It could be that they’re teasing me or something along those lines. “Besiktas, a rival of my current team, showed interest in signing me and communicated with my agent, but I was never interested in joining them.”
