The Nigeria international has not hidden his desire to engineer a move away from France, but his boss at the national level expects him to remain at the Stade Matmut-Atlantique and prove his worth
Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has backed Bordeaux winger Samuel Kalu to ignore transfer talks, stay at the French club, and impress his club manager with his unique abilities.
Kalu endured an underwhelming campaign last term in Ligue 1, scoring once and creating one assist in 20 games, yet he is still attracting attention from Fenerbahce.
The Turkish club is interested only in a loan deal while the 23-year-old’s parent club is looking for an outright purchase.
Bordeaux are reportedly willing to let go of Kalu, who joined from KAA Gent two years ago for €8.5 million, but no deal has since been sealed with any admiring club.
While the tricky winger is struggling in France, he remains a crucial member of Rohr’s Super Eagles.
Kalu has been named in the Nigerian team set to play a couple of friendly games against Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia in Austria next month.
The youngster has, however, only started one of four matches for Bordeaux this term but Rohr is backing him to come good if given more time to show his qualities.
“Samuel Kalu is still playing very, very well with me and with the Nigeria team. He lost a little bit of confidence last season because things were not going very well with the staff from the previous season,” Rohr said, as per Girondins33.
“At the moment, he is in the process of regaining a little his means, both physical and moral. He is resurfacing, and I think he will have more opportunities with the new staff to play his real position, which is a position of a pure winger, dribbler, centralizer, who can also score goals.
“I hope to see him again on Sunday against Nice. “
Rohr is aware that Kalu is tempted by Fenerbahce but the former Bordeaux boss is convinced that the youngster is better off staying in France than switching to Turkey.
“He spoke to me about it recently to ask my opinion. I told him that France and the Girondins de Bordeaux offered a level that would allow him to progress more than in Turkey. That he had to try to do so.
“First, to find his place in Bordeaux, and in the winter transfer window, we will have to see. But there, there is a new staff arriving, so it is up to him to show his qualities.
“I think he will want to stay and prove that he has his place in this team.”
Kalu scored his first goal of the season for Bordeaux last weekend and he could return to the team’s starting eleven when Les Girondins host Nice on Sunday.