Done Deal: Festy Ebosele Completes Move To Istanbul Basaksehir

🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨

Former Watford and Derby defender Festy Ebosele is signing for Turkish Super Lig side Basaksehir.🇹🇷✍️

Do you think the Irishman will thrive in Turkey?👇#basaksehir | #Superlig pic.twitter.com/YMJNEaH7Sb

— Football Park (@thefootballpark) January 31, 2025

The Irish youngster has put pen to paper and has joined on a permanent deal to Istanbul Basaksehir. Signing a three and a half year contract with the Turkish side, the promising youngster is excited for a new challenge with becoming the first ever Irishman to play for the club.

Festy Ebosele, 22, made the loan move to Watford from Italian club Udinese at the beginning of the season and has since starred in 18 matches for them collecting one goal and one assist across this period. However, Udinese decided to cut the loan spell short in order for this deal to go through and it came at the right time for Ebosele. His last start for Watford was back on November 1st and after a good start for the club, his minutes seemed to deter as the season went on as he has only played a full 90 minutes on two occasions.

Festy Ebosele’s goal against Sunderland in our 2-1 home win in 2024.#WatfordFC pic.twitter.com/OI3fNE4H93

— Retro Watford (@RetroWFC) January 30, 2025

Watford manager Tom Cleverley has said to the media “Festy came to the club with the intention of being a starter”. However the Irish born defender has only started seven games across the 19 games he played for the Hornets as Cleverley expressed his belief in other options, stating he came into a position “where we’ve been fairly strong”.

Festy Ebosele Transfer History

The Ireland born defender started his career at League of Ireland side Bray Wanderers as a 14 year-old Ebosele was welcomed to the academy. After four years in Ireland, he mad the move to Derby County for the 2018/2019 season, making appearances for their under 18’s and under 23’s before breaking into the first team and establishing himself for the 21/22 season at 19 years old. Totalling 41 first team appearances for Derby County, Ebosele collected 2 goals and one assist and was living up to the star player Derby were asking for. On top of Derby, he received a first team call up to represent the Republic of Ireland and has now charted seven appearances for the Boys in Green .

Festy Ebosele with a rocket of a goal for Derby 🇮🇪🇮🇪 what a celebration too!pic.twitter.com/NwwbLt56aM

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) February 8, 2022

A new challenge beckoned to Ebosele as Italian side Udinese came calling, acquiring him on a free transfer. Cementing himself as a right sided defended, he made 50 appearances for the club and managing two assists throughout two seasons at the club.

It would then be a return to the Championship for Ebosele as Udinese and Watford would continue their trading relationship with owner Giampaolo Pozza sending the defender to his son’s team Watford for the current season. Ebosele burst into Watford and was playing brilliantly, picking up his first goal on his third game for the Hornets.

Now the Irish/Nigerian player is happy to be going back abroad and ready to establish himself in the Turkish League. Istanbul Basaksehir sit in seventh place in the Turkish Süper Lig, with seven points separating the from a European football spot, can Ebosele help encourage the team to a higher spot.

Keep a close eye on this man as we wait with anticaption for him to get his campaign underway.