The Most Sensible Transfers Involving Nigerian Players In The January Window
By Ademola Adediji
The winter transfer window has come and gone, teams around Europe have moved on players and players have players coming in the other direction.
While the volume of transfers at this time is not anything compared to transfers in the summer, they were still some high profile player movements.
For instance, the Premier League accounted for some of the transfers that caught the eye during this period.
All the clubs in the English top division had players come in and out the club.
While most clubs in the league only really just strengthened their weak areas and cut down on players regarded as deadweights, Chelsea dominated the January transfer by bringing in eight players.
Some of the players brought in includes French forward, Christopher Nkunku, highly rated Ukrainian youngster, Mykhailo Mudryk and World Cup winner, Enzo Fernandez who they prized away from Benfica for a British transfer record of £107 million.
Other clubs around Europe also did their fair share of transfer businesses before the window was shut.
Being one of the countries with the highest export of players globally, Nigerian players were not left out of the transfer melee.
Although no Nigerian player made moves that made headlines, there were quite a few that turned a few heads and ultimately made sense considering their career trajectory.
The movement of Paul Onuachu and Terem Moffi had been coming and it will hardly surprise ardent followers of Nigerian players abroad.
Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuchu, who moved from Genk to Southampton in the Premier League. His National team mate Moffi moved from Lorient but stayed in France with Nice.
Onuachu made a name for himself in Belgium and he would be looking to do the same thing in the English top flight. In terms of reputation, Moffi is also not far behind, but Tolu Arokodare who moved from Amiens to Genk still has a lot to prove.
Let’s examine some of the transfers involving Nigerian players:
Paul Onuachu
Paul Onuachu has dominated the goalscoring chart of Belgian Jupiler league in the last few years.
So it is not surprising to see struggling Premier League side, Southampton splash £15 million to get their man.
The former Genk striker is untested in the big leagues, but it would not be surprising to see him bang in the goals.
And if taking a punt is your thing, you can back him to do exploits in any of the bonus sites in Nigeria.
Terem Moffi
Terms Moffi is another fast rising Super Eagles player. He has been scoring loads of goals in France.
He got his break with Lorient, but his fine performance got him a move to Nice.
It remains to be seen if he will carry on with his fine form at his new stomping grounds.
However, given his exploits at Lorient there will be little to worry about.
Tolu Arokodare
Tolu Arokadare is a prodigy and one of the best young players of Nigerian extraction.
Now, he has joined Belgian giants, Genk as a replacement for fellow Nigerian, Paul Onuachu who joined Southampton in the same window.
The physically imposing Arokodare was prized away from SC Amiens and he would be looking to bang in the goals just like Onuachu did.