Akor Adams has only played 11 games for Nigeria to date, but he recently emerged as a key component of the side that made it to a third-place finish in AFCON 2025. With 4 goals for his country already and some excellent performances in the tournament, Adams has managed to attract attention.
Currently plying his trade as a striker for Sevilla, the 25-year-old’s dream move is to Manchester United. Although there are no official links between him and the Premier League side yet, there’s a chance he could one day make the switch if he keeps up this incredible form.
The Player is a Huge United Fan
It’s no secret that a lot of Nigerian footballers grow up following the Premier League and supporting Big Six sides. There are countless Manchester United fans in the country, and Adams is one of them. In a recent video blog run by Alex Iwobi at AFCON, there was footage of Adams celebrating United’s 2-0 win over local rivals Manchester City.
When footballers like Adams get into the sport in Nigeria, they often imagine themselves following the path of legends like John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses, eventually playing at the top echelons of the sport for teams they supported when growing up. Adams has a long way to go before he can match players like these, but the fact that he has already made it to La Liga as an integral part of Sevilla’s squad is promising.
United Will Be Looking for Someone Who Can Help Them Rebuild
United have been in disarray in recent years and have lacked a major goalscoring threat since Romelu Lukaku left in 2019. Even though the Belgian managed 42 goals in his 96 games, he still isn’t considered among the greats at the club. Indeed, no striker in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era other than perhaps Zlatan Ibrahimovic has managed to set Old Trafford alight.
This season, the Red Devils have struggled in the league again, and at the time of writing are only outsiders at 5/2 in the sports bet markets to finish in the top four. In the past, it was unquestionable that they wouldn’t qualify for the Champions League, but this is no longer a guarantee. It’s clear they need a prolific striker to help them regain their status, but Adams hasn’t yet proven that he can be that player.
Ighalo the Only Nigerian to Play for United So Far
Despite there being swathes of United fans in Nigeria who then go on to become professional footballers, there has only been one player from the country on the books at Old Trafford to date.
Odion Ighalo made a name for himself at Watford from 2014 to 2017 and carried on his goal scoring form in China League One for the next two seasons. United signed the player on loan in 2020, but he only made 12 appearances for the club and failed to score in the league.
Any player from Nigeria who manages to join United will want to right the wrongs of Ighalo’s doomed spell at the club. Currently, though, Adams is finding his feet at Sevilla where he could potentially make a name for himself. Maybe in the next few years, he will be able to force himself into United’s consideration.
