The January transfer window around major leagues in Europe came to a close yesterday with so many Nigerian players taking advantage of it by moving to new teams, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
We pick five top transfers made by Nigerian players during the course of the window, which lasted for a month.
Ademola Lookman to Atletico Madrid – The best move of the window by a mile. Looked certain to join Turkish side Fenerbahce from Atalanta, but ended up at a top Laliga side on a four year deal. A perfect move to end his stay in Italy.
Sani Suleiman to RB Leipzig – His move to the German giants from Slovakian side AS Trenčín was one of the least expected, but it happened for a club record sale. Unfortunately a knee injury means he won’t be making his debut anytime soon.
Uchenna Ogundu To Augsburg – 18 months ago he was playing amateur football in Nigeria. A year ago he was without a club after the decision of third division side Şanlıurfaspor to not offer him a new deal. After six months in the top league in Turkey with Alanyaspor with two goals and two assists in 17 games, he moved to the Bundesliga.
Sadiq Umar to Valencia – For someone who has endured a torrid six months at Real Sociedad, where he was deemed surplus to requirements to join a top team like Valencia is no doubt a very good move. A return to where he spent the last six months of last season on loan should be the catalyst for him to regain his form, fitness and sharpness in front of goal.
Tochukwu Nnadi to Marseille – Heavily linked with a move to English Premier League side West Ham. His move to Marseille which is perfect for his development came on the back of his involvement with the Super Eagles at the AFCON.
Terem Moffi to FC Porto – His desire was to leave Ligue 1 side Nice after he was attacked by fans of the club in November. Securing a move to an European power house like FC Porto in January came as a surprise to many who thought he was heading for a dead end owing to the nature of his exit, and inactivity for almost three months.
Rafiu Durosinmi to Pisa – For someone who saw a move to Eintracht Frankfurt collapse due to a serious knee injury that kept him out for over a year. His move to Serie A side Pisa from Viktoria Plzen is no doubt an upgrade for his career development.
Philip Otele to Hamburg – Made a loan move to German Bundesliga side Hamburg from FC Basel. A move that will not doubt brighten his Super Eagles chances after making the provisional list for the AFCON.
Chibuike Nwaiwu to Trabzonspor – It took him just 18 months after leaving Nigeria to Austria for him to make a big money move to Turkey. He is now firmly in contention for a Super Eagles spot.
Salim Fago Lawal to Viktoria Plzen- A step up it was for him moving from Croatian side Istra to Viktoria Plzen of Czech Republic. A member of the Super Eagles squad to the recently concluded AFCON, the Czech Republic side is just perfect for his development.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
