Mbwana Samatta joined Fenerbahce on a season-long loan last summer but has struggled for form in Istanbul.
The 28-year-old has scored only five goals in 21 games across the board and is no longer commanding a starting place (Transfermarkt). Despite Samatta’s woes in Turkey, however, Fenerbahce manager Erol Bulut has defended the striker and believes he can turn things around before the campaign comes to a close.
He told Aspor: “We are going through a difficult process. You are a player with the capacity to solve the problem on the goal paths. I trust you.”
The Tanzania international has scored just two goals in the Super Lig since October and was benched for February’s 2-1 win over Fatih Karagumruk and 1-0 defeat to Goztepe. He now finds himself behind Enner Valencia in the pecking order while having further competition from Papiss Cisse (Transfermarkt).
Things haven’t gone well for Samatta ever since he left Genk in January 2020. The out-of-form striker scored just two goals in 16 games for Aston Villa and is now on the periphery of another club a year later. Fenerbahce have already agreed to sign Samatta permanently at the end of the season, so their only option would be to sell up if they didn’t want him in 2021/22.
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Bulut’s bullish attitude suggests that Fenerbahce will give Samatta more opportunities to prove his worth, so he might yet turn things around in Turkey.
Given his woes over the last few months, however, Aston Villa should be pleased that they’ve already agreed a deal to sell him in the next transfer window.
