Christian Atsu

3.1. Early Career

Christian Atsu arrived at FC Porto at the age of 17, starting his career in their youth system in 2009. He was first called up to the senior team by manager André Villas-Boas on 14 May 2011 for a Primeira Liga match against C.S. Marítimo, though he remained an unused substitute.

3.2. Porto (and loan to Rio Ave)

For the 2011-12 season, Atsu was sent on loan to fellow Primeira Liga side Rio Ave. He made his professional debut in the competition on 28 August 2011, in a 0-1 home loss against S.C. Olhanense. On 16 December 2011, Atsu opened the scoring at Estádio da Luz against Benfica in the 24th minute, though Rio Ave ultimately lost the match 5-1. During his loan spell, he played 27 league matches, scoring 6 goals, and made 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring 6 goals.

Atsu returned to Porto for the 2012-13 campaign. He made 17 league appearances, starting in nine of them, and scored one goal. His contributions helped Porto win the national championship for the third consecutive time. He also helped the team secure the 2012 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and reach the final of the Taça da Liga. Overall, he played 29 matches in all competitions for Porto.

3.3. Chelsea

On 1 September 2013, Atsu agreed to join Chelsea on a five-year contract for a reported 3.50 M GBP. Upon signing, he was immediately loaned out to Dutch club Vitesse for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, marking the beginning of a series of loan spells away from Chelsea, where he never made a first-team appearance.

3.3.1. Loan Spells (Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Málaga)

Atsu gained significant experience across various European leagues during his time on loan from Chelsea.

At Vitesse, he made his debut on 6 October 2013, coming on as a substitute against Feyenoord and providing an assist in a 2-1 loss. His first start was on 19 October against SC Heerenveen, a match Vitesse won 3-2. On 9 November, he scored his first goal for Vitesse from a penalty against FC Utrecht in a 3-1 victory. In total, Atsu played 30 games and scored 5 goals for Vitesse, contributing to their 6th-place finish in the league and qualification for the European playoffs. His strong performance earned him the Vitesse Player of the Year award for the 2013-14 season.

On 13 August 2014, Atsu moved to fellow Premier League club Everton on loan for the 2014-15 season. He debuted ten days later as an 85th-minute substitute in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Goodison Park. His first league start was on 21 September 2014 against Crystal Palace, resulting in a 2-3 home loss. After returning from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu came off the bench on 19 February 2015 in a UEFA Europa League match against BSC Young Boys, where he played the final five minutes. Three days later, he provided an assist for a late equalizer in a 2-2 home draw against Leicester City. On 15 March 2015, in a match against Newcastle United, he again came off the bench and assisted Ross Barkley for Everton's third goal in a 3-0 home victory. He started the second leg of a Europa League Round of 16 match against Dynamo Kyiv, but Everton was eliminated after a 5-2 defeat. This was his final first-team appearance for Everton. He made 13 appearances and recorded two assists during his time with the club.

On 29 May 2015, Atsu was loaned to newly promoted Premier League team AFC Bournemouth for the upcoming season, a move described by the club's Chief Executive as "a huge coup." He made his debut on 25 August in the second round of the League Cup, starting in a 4-0 win at Hartlepool United. Atsu's only other appearance was in the next round's victory at Preston North End. He did not feature in any Bournemouth league matchday squad and was recalled by Chelsea on 1 January 2016.

On 24 January 2016, Atsu gave an interview stating he would be leaving Chelsea and was expected to join Levante UD. However, the next day, it was confirmed he would instead move to Málaga on loan. On 5 February 2016, Atsu made his debut in the starting eleven and scored in a 3-0 victory over Getafe. He also scored in the final match of the 2015-16 season, contributing to a 4-1 victory over UD Las Palmas.

3.4. Newcastle United

On 31 August 2016, Atsu joined Newcastle United on a one-year loan deal which included an option to buy. His debut for the club came on 13 September as a substitute in a 6-0 away victory against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, where he provided an assist for their fifth goal. Atsu scored his first goal for Newcastle on 1 October in a 1-0 win against Rotherham United, followed by further goals against Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic. On 29 April 2017, he scored from a direct free-kick to help Newcastle beat Cardiff City 2-0. His contributions were instrumental in Newcastle winning the Championship title and securing promotion back to the Premier League.

In May 2017, Atsu signed a four-year deal to join Newcastle permanently for 6.20 M GBP from Chelsea, without having made any official appearances for his parent club. On 16 September 2017, he scored his first Premier League goal for Newcastle in a 2-1 victory over Stoke City. On 23 December 2017, he recorded a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win against West Ham, ending Newcastle's nine-game winless streak in the Premier League. He made 121 appearances for Newcastle United across all competitions, scoring 8 goals and providing 10 assists, before being released at the conclusion of his contract in July 2021. For the first half of the 2020-21 season, he was excluded from Newcastle's roster but was later re-added for the second half of the season.

3.5. Later Career (Al-Raed and Hatayspor)

On 17 July 2021, Atsu joined Al-Raed in the Saudi Professional League, marking a temporary departure from European football. Limited by injury, he played only eight games in the league.

On 6 September 2022, Atsu signed with Süper Lig club Hatayspor in Turkey on an initial one-year contract with an option for a further year. He played three league games and one Turkish Cup match. His final professional goal was scored on 5 February 2023, the day before the catastrophic earthquake, when he netted the only goal in the seventh minute of added time at home against Kasımpaşa.

6.1. Circumstances and Discovery

On 6 February 2023, a massive earthquake, measuring 7.8 Mw, struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. Atsu went missing immediately after the earthquake, feared to be trapped under the rubble of Hatayspor's headquarters in Antakya, where he resided in a luxury apartment building known as Rönesans Rezidans. Reports indicated that Atsu had been scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey just hours before the earthquake, but Hatayspor's manager stated that he decided to stay with the club after scoring the winning goal in a match on 5 February.

Initial reports on 7 February, including one from the club's vice-president Mustafa Özat, claimed that Atsu had been rescued and was recovering in hospital. However, these reports were later found to be false. On 8 February, Hatayspor's manager Volkan Demirel confirmed that Atsu and the club's sporting director, Taner Savut, were still missing. On 14 February, Atsu's agent confirmed that two pairs of his shoes had been found, but Atsu himself remained undiscovered.

After a prolonged search, on 18 February, Atsu's agent confirmed that his body had been recovered from the rubble of the building where he was living. News outlets reported his death at approximately 6 a.m. GMT. His passing at the age of 31 prompted an outpouring of grief from the global football community.

6.2. Tributes and Funeral

Tributes for Christian Atsu poured in from around the world. His former club, Newcastle United, paid tribute to him at their game against Liverpool on 18 February. A minute of applause was held in his honor prior to the match, with Atsu's widow and their children in attendance. Similar tributes were also made at other Premier League games that weekend. The Premier League's official Twitter account expressed deep sorrow, stating that they were "deeply saddened by the news Christian Atsu lost his life in the devastation of the earthquakes that have hit Turkey and Syria," and that their "thoughts and condolences are with Christian's family and friends and everyone affected by this tragic event."

On 20 February, Atsu's body was flown from Turkey back to his family in Ghana. The Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, delivered a eulogy at his funeral, and a military procession was held in his honor. A one-week observation ceremony was held for Christian Atsu on Saturday, 4 March 2023, at the Adjiringanor AstroTurf in Accra, Ghana. On 17 March 2023, Atsu was accorded a state-assisted funeral at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra before being buried in his hometown, Dogobome in Ada Foah.

8.1. Club

8.2. International

Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Atsu goal. Some sources credit Atsu with scoring a goal against Lesotho on 16 June 2013, but FIFA credited it to John Boye.