Henry Onyekuru: Monaco outcast returns to Galatasaray on loan

AS Monaco outcast Henry Onyekuru has returned to Galatasaray on a six-month loan that elapses at the end of the season, with an option to buy.

Thanks to his awe-inspiring performance for Eupen where he finished the 2016-17 Belgian First Division A season as joint top-scorer with 22 goals, the winger was signed for Everton for a fee worth £7 million.

Nevertheless, he was sent to Anderlecht owing to his failure to get a work permit which would have seen him realise his ambition of playing in the Premier League.

After completing spells in Belgium and Galatasaray - where he won the 2018-19 Turkish Super Lig title, he was sold permanently to Ligue 1 giants Monaco. There he had struggled to find his feet at Stade Louis II and has been restricted to just four league games for Niko Kovac’s side.

He will now hope to rediscover his best form in familiar surroundings, with Gala president Mustafa Cengiz delighted to see ‘the son of the house’ retrace his steps after a tortuous period in France.

"Someone said something, you know, the son of the hand, the son of the house. I swear to God, I think Onyekuru is the son of the house,” Cengiz told the club website.

“For the third time, he insisted on asking for us thanks to Onyekuru, even though there were many teams who wanted him and it cost a lot to the club he came from.

“He didn't even look back on offers from other teams in Turkey or abroad. We thank him very much for his feelings of belonging and loyalty in this context. It's a stance. He didn't prefer money. He preferred his love."

For the 23-year-old, he is hoping to stay for a longer period with the 22-time Turkish league kings, while owing to give his all.

"First of all, I am very happy to be here again. I want to have a season where we can achieve the goals of the club, with plenty of goals and make everyone proud,” said the Super Eagle.

“I'm hoping to stay here longer. I spoke to our president, vice president and technical director, and they expressed their confidence in me. As always, I'm willing to give 100 percent.

“As I said before, my goal is to achieve more success with the club, win more trophies and make our fans proud. Hopefully, we will win both the league and the Turkish Cup."

He will wear jersey no. 7 in Fatih Terim’s squad and could be in line to make his debut on Friday against Gaziantep FK.