A former Celtic and West Ham United striker, appears to be on the verge of departing Gazientep, with the Turkish Super Lig club’s head coach reportedly eager to offload the misfit center-forward.
While his prolific stint at Basel in 2018/19 saw him notch 21 goals, earning him a transfer to West Ham, the subsequent trajectory of Albian Ajeti’s career has been less consistent. His swift departure from West Ham to Celtic after a mere nine Premier League appearances sheds light on his challenging stint at the London Stadium, and his shift to Parkhead did not usher in much better times.
Celtic, having acquired him for £5 million, recouped a meager £500,000 when the 26-year-old made the switch to Turkey on the last day of the summer transfer window in September. Recent reports suggest that Ajeti might soon be on the move again, following a rather lackluster five-month spell at Gazientep.
Per Gazientep Pusula, head coach Marius Sudumica has reportedly informed the club’s president that Ajeti is no longer part of his plans. Consequently, a potential departure in January looms large for the striker, who has managed just one goal and five appearances for his current (and potentially soon to be former) club.
Ajeti’s struggles continued during an injury-plagued loan tenure with Sturm Graz in the 2022/23 season, a trend that has persisted during his time in Turkey. The Swiss international, with 11 caps to his name, has spent a mere 118 minutes on the field for Gazientep.
Reflecting on his experiences, Ajeti shared with Laola1, “I had a wonderful, wonderful time at Sturm Graz. I really enjoyed it… The only thing that wasn’t as fun were the injuries I kept having. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid them.”
As time unfolds, Ajeti may well look back at his tenure at Gazientep with a sense of disappointment, ruefully reflecting on missed opportunities and setbacks.
