Nigeria’s Super Eagles midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo is expected to stay at Turkish giants, Galatasaray where he is on loan from English side Stoke City.
The central midfielder has struggled for game time this season having made eight appearances in the Turkish Super Lig – including three starts.
Recent reports have indicated that Stoke, who are campaigning in the English Championship, could recall Etebo during the current January transfer window.
However, Stoke manager Michael O’Neill has dismissed the reports and he explained that he is aware that Etebo’s loan stint has not gone well.
“It’s definitely a rumour! The players who are out on loan are out on loan for the season and that won’t change,” O’Neill said.
“It was what they wanted at that period in time. They made that decision and we made that decision as a club.
“Maybe because the loan hasn’t gone well, you can’t just decide you want to come back. It doesn’t work like that.”
Etebo, who boasts of 35 international caps for Nigeria, started his career at Nigerian club Warri Wolves where he spent three years before moving into European football with Portuguese side Feirense.
The diminutive player helped Feirense gain promotion to the Primeira Liga and establish themselves as a top-flight club.
He had a six-month loan spell at Spanish side Las Palmas in the 2017/18 season, before joining Stoke City in June 2018 for a fee of £6.35 million.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
