Turkish side Gaziantep FK are in talks with Ghanaian striker Emmanuel Okyere Boateng, who recently left Portuguese club Rio Ave.
The 28-year-old was transferred from Levante to the Chinese team DL Yifang for 11 million euros in 2018.
Boateng’s Rio Ave journey:
Boateng joined Rio Ave in 2013, after impressing on a trial, from hometown club Charity Stars FC. Initially assigned to the youth setup, he made his professional debut on 31 July 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute for Yonathan Del Valle in a 1–0 away win against IFK Göteborg for the season‘s UEFA Europa League.
Boateng made his Primeira Liga debut on 17 August 2014, starting in a 2–0 home win against Vitória de Setúbal. His first goal in the category occurred on 1 September, as he scored the last in a 4–0 home routing of Boavista.
Boateng move to Moreirense:
On 7 July 2015, Boateng made a permanent move to fellow league team Moreirense. Mainly used as a substitute during his first season, he started to feature more regularly during his second.
Boateng was also regularly used in the Taça da Liga, netting a brace in a 3–1 home success over Benfica on 26 January 2017. Three days later, he replaced Roberto in the final, a 1–0 win against S.C. Braga; it was Moreirense’s first ever national title.
Boateng scored his first league double on 30 April 2017, in a 2–2 away draw against Arouca.
Boateng at Levante:
On 16 August 2017, Boateng signed a four-year deal with La Liga side Levante UD.
On 13 May 2018, he scored first career hat-trick against champions Barcelona. Levante won the match 5–4, ending the possibility of an unbeaten season for Barcelona.
Dalian Professional:
On 20 February 2019, Boateng signed with Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional (then Dalian Yifang).
Return to Rio Ave:
In 2022, Boateng left Dalian to rejoin Rio Ave to relaunch his career in Europe.
He was part of the Ghana national under-20 football team, who played the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. He scored one goal in the competition on 5 June 2015, in a 1–0 win against Panama. On 30 May 2018 he made his senior appearance for the Black Stars. He marked his debut with a goal when he scored a penalty in the 51st minute of the game.
