Transfer windows in football provides clubs with the avenue to improve their squad by signing players and also give them room to sell players that their services are surplus to requirement.
While clubs in the football fraternity uphold this development to bolster their squad in order to be more competitive and win titles, some Nigerian players were also seen switching clubs in the course of the summer transfer window in Europe that ended on September, 1.
In this piece, we will take a look at 10 Nigerian players that have moved on to ply their trade elsewhere.
1. Alex Iwobi – Having spent five years with the Toffees (Everton), scoring 9 times in 140 appearances across all competitions. The 27-year-old joined another Premier League outfit, Fulham in a deal worth £22 million (22 million pounds) on a five-year contract.
2. Samuel Chukwueze – Formerly in the colours of the Yellow Submarines, Villarreal in the Spanish top-flight in La-Laiga. Chukwueze completed a move to AC Milan in the Serie A for 20 million euros, with eight million euros in add-ons. Prior to his move to Italy, he registered 21 goals for Villarreal in 155 La-Laiga games – and netted 37 times in 207 matches across all competitions.
3. Victor Boniface – One of Nigeria’s shining star in the last few years in Europe. Boniface put pen to paper for Bayer Leverkusen as they cough out 20 millions euros, with 7.5 million euros in add-ons to lure him from Belgian Pro League side, Union SG on a five-year deal. The 22-year-old forward garnered 9 goals in 37 league games in his time at Belgium – and amassed 17 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions. Boniface spent just a year at the club after joining from Bodo/Glimt in Norway at the end of 2021/2022 season.
4. Peter Olayinka – Olayinka left Slavia Prague in Czech Republic as a free agent to join Serbian club, Red Star Belgrade on a three-year contract. He donned the jersey of Slavia Prague for five years, thereby making 183 appearances and scoring 50 goals. The 27-year-old winger/forward also won 6 trophies; Czech First League in the 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 season. Similarly, he clinched the Czech Cup in the 2018/2019, 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 season.
5. Cyriel Dessers – Dessers signed for Rangers, following the relegation of Cremonese from Serie A to play in Serie B. He joined the Scottish heavyweight for a fee in the region of five million pounds (£5 million) on a four-year contract. While with the club, he played 29 games and found the back of the net seven times.
6. William Troost-Ekong – Upon completing his loan spell with Salernitana. Ekong went back to his ‘parent club’, Watford, before sealing a move to Greek side, PAOK FC for a transfer fee of £1 million (One million pound). The defenders had 9 games under his belt in Salernitana’s colours in the Serie A and recorded a goal – and made 68 appearances for Watford.
7. Muhamed Tijani – Tijani signed a five-year contract with Slavia Prague from another Czech team, Banik Ostrava for a reported fee of £1.26m. He played 35 matches and fired in 12 goals for Ostrava last season.
8. Kenneth Omeruo – Omeruo’s move from Leganes to Kasimpasa in an undisclosed fee was confirmed on July 27, 2023. The transfer meant that it will be his third spell at the club, having played on loan at Kasimpasa in the Turkish Super Lig in 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 season. In the two seasons at the club, he played 59 games. Meanwhile, he was at Leganes for 5 seasons (2019 to 2023) – registering 5 goals in 86 games.
9. Josh Maja – Though, he has only represented Nigeria once in August 2019, with Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles coach when he replaced Victor Osimhen, with few minutes left on the clock in a 2-2 friendly against Ukraine. Maja moved to Championship club, West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer, signing three-year deal after completing hIs loan at Stoke City. The striker scored twice in 17 games for Stoke City in the EFL Championship.
10. Akor Adams – Former Flying Eagles star, Adams joined Ligue 1 outfit, Montpellier from Norwegian side, Lillestrom for €4 million (4 million euros), after netting 17 goals in 18 games in the 2022/2023 season in all competitions. In the same vein, he amassed 27 goals in 47 games across all competitions in his two-year stint at the club.
