David Okereke’s next move is shaping up to be a genuine tug of war between Italy and Turkey, with the striker officially a free agent after his four year spell at Cremonese ended on July 1.

Sampdoria have emerged as one of the early frontrunners for his signature. The Genoa based club are rebuilding in Serie B and see a proven, fee-free striker as a smart way to add attacking experience without eating into a transfer budget they’d rather spend elsewhere. It’s not the first time the Blucerchiati have tried to sign him either; they were interested in Okereke during his Club Brugge days, only for Venezia to beat them to a loan deal with an option to buy.

A return to Italy would put Okereke back in a league he knows intimately. Since leaving Abuja Football College for Europe in 2015, he has built most of his career in Italian football, moving through Lavagnese and Spezia before his form earned a switch to Club Brugge in Belgium in 2019. He later returned to Italy with Venezia, Cremonese, and Torino, and spent last season on loan in Turkey with Gaziantep.

That Turkish spell is a big part of why Sampdoria’s path to signing him is far from clear. Kocaelispor have made him one of their key attacking targets this summer, helped by the presence of technical director Selcuk Inan, who worked closely with Okereke at Gaziantep and knows his game well. Talks between the club and player are reported to have progressed to personal terms, with Kocaelispor able to put more money toward wages given there’s no transfer fee involved.

Kasimpasa are also monitoring the situation, drawn by a striker who has already proven he can adapt to and score in the Super Lig. Okereke managed 10 goals and three assists in 30 appearances during his loan year at Gaziantep, numbers that left a strong impression across the Turkish top flight.