Daily Record Loses The Plot Over Iheanacho

The Daily Record appears to have lost the plot over Kelechi Iheanacho’s decision to join Celtic.

Two top sports reporters have been feeding readers very different tales about the deal signed by the striker who joined Bursanspor on Friday.

It is impressive how two Glasgow based reporters have their fingers on the pulse for wage levels in the Turkish Second Division.

Michael Gannon and Ryan McDonald were part of the Albufeira Four sent to cover Celtic’s pre-season trip.

They certainly filled their books with quotes held back to justify the trip and expenditure.

The Iheanacho situation has put the lads at the Record in a bit of a spot.

On one hand Gannon is staying loyal to his sources. On the other McDonald knows that the online Celtic audience has a grasp of reality.

No one at Bursanspor is getting paid £50,000 a week. Nobody is getting even half of that.

🗣️ “I asked my agent to make sure he does everything possible to make sure I come to Bursaspor.”
🚨🍀 Kelechi Iheanacho has opened up on his Celtic exit for the first time & revealed he instructed his agent to thrash out a move to Turkey.
Full story 👇https://t.co/pyS6uSuPUf pic.twitter.com/rNS2lLqhxq
— Ryan McDonald (@rmcd93) July 23, 2026

DAILY RECORD ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH IHEANACHO DETAILS

Iheanacho didn’t open up on anything. Bog standard quotes from Turkey were used. Football agent did his job for his client. Fairly run of the mill unless you are Michael Nicholson.

Introducing his piece based on quotes given by Iheanacho, McDonald writes:

Kelechi Iheanacho says he instructed his agent to do everything possible to thrash out a move to Bursaspor as he opened up on his Celtic exit for the first time.
The Nigerian striker, 29, last week stunned the Hoops by knocking back a contract extension to join Bursaspor in the Turkish second tier.
Boss Martin O’Neill claimed the Parkhead giants had struck an agreement with the title-winning hitman before Iheanacho performed a U-turn to pen a £23,000-a-week deal in Turkey.

What? Only £23,000 a week? On Friday the Record had Iheanacho on £50,000 a week. Big dosh, mega bucks deal. You name it. They published it.

Now, Iheanacho has given his side of the story, revealing he wanted to join Bursaspor after being sold by the club’s ambitious plans.

And with that he latched onto quotes from Iheanacho about joining Bursanspor.

Less than a week ago the Record was explaining how greedy Iheanacho had snubbed Celtic for a £50,000 a week deal in Turkey.

That claim came out on Friday night as Celtic recalled favours for the access given to their media partners in Portugal.

Today Gannon is discussing Luke McCowan’s Scotland prospects from an interview held back since the notorious sessions in Albufeira.

Celtic were caught out by Iheanacho signing for Bursanspor.

For two months their messengers had discussed a new contract, Martin O’Neill commented positively on the prospect.

Then the landscape changed.

SPIN BABY SPIN

Thankfully Gannon is always on call to push a sympathetic line for his Celtic sources:

Celtic have missed out on bringing back Kelechi Iheanacho after refusing to match the striker’s eye-watering wage demands.
The Nigerian ace has signed for Turkish climbers Bursaspor on a bumper three-year deal despite an offer on the table to remain at Parkhead.
Record Sport understands the Hoops balked at Iheanacho looking for a blockbuster package of £50k per week – way beyond the top earners at the club.
The Hoops offered the Double winning hero a two-year contract despite allowing the automatic one-year extension option to expire at the end of June.
But the ambitious Turkish second-tier outfit – who won promotion last term – stepped in offering big dosh to bag the 29-year-old on a three-year deal.

Absolute Daily Record Bingo. All that was missing was the claim that ‘greedy bhoy Iheanacho tried to hold Celtic to ransom’.

Gannon did manage ‘eye-watering wage demands’, ‘bumper three-year deal’, ‘blockbuster package’ and ‘offering big dosh’.

For a moment readers must have been carried back to the glorious days of the nineties when James Traynor was pumping out back pages for Dave Murray.

Celtic have always employed their own equivalent menu for compliant reporters.

It was never as in your face but their reporters in the media loop never ever criticise the running of the club.

McDonald and Gannon were well looked for their trip to the holiday resort of Albufeira. On and off the record.

Neither have gone near the comment from Michael Nicholson to the AICSC that he can’t cope with agents.

They don’t follow up on Martin O’Neill’s answers as he meanders off towards his favourite topics.

Asking O’Neill about Celtic’s recruitment operation or the speed that they complete deals is firmly off the menu.

And with that print sales of the Record fall at 18% year on year.

Digital numbers may look impressive but it is highly doubtful that it can justify two lads being sent off to the Algarve in July to cement relationships.

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