Musa, Etebo, Iwuala… 10 Nigerian stars who changed clubs this summer

With the curtain drawn on arguably the most intriguing transfer window in recent years, many of the deals struck still feel surreal. Football fans around the world were constantly sent reeling in endless disbelief as some fundamental stars depart their boyhood clubs, and several others were welcomed back into theirs with millions of pounds and unquantifiable fanfare. The news was as deluging as it was spellbinding.

Leading the pack was the tearful U-turn of Lionel Messi’s contract situation with FC Barcelona and his shock signing for PSG barely days later. Cristiano Ronaldo also opted for a return to Old Trafford after almost joining Manchester City from Juventus. Real Madrid lost Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, probably the most successful centre-back pairing in the club’s history, to PSG and Manchester United respectively. Chelsea broke the bank to resign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan while Jack Grealish became the most expensive British footballer for his €117.50 million move from Aston Villa to the Etihad.

Amid all the jingle of coins and clangour from calculators — as the biggest transfers across Europe have been sorted — it’s almost easy to miss Nigerian footballers who themselves attracted willing suitors in the time frame.

Here are 10 Super Eagles’ players who changed clubs this summer:

Ahmed Musa — from Kano Pillars to Turkey’s Fatih Karagumruk

Barely three months after returning to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to play for Kano Pillars, Musa relaunched his career once more with a free transfer to Turkey’s Fatih Karagumruk.

The Super Eagles captain also signed a two-year deal with the Turkish Super Lig side and has begun making an impact.

Oghenekaro Etebo — from Stoke City to Watford on loan

It was a move upscale for Etebo, who have been shunted around too often at Stoke City in recent seasons.

He gets a chance to prove that his combative style of tending the midfield is the precise tonic that Watford, EPL newly-promoted team, need to avoid a quick rebound back to the second tier.

If he successfully proves that, the loan deal offers the Hornets an option to sign the Nigerian permanently.

Frank Onyeka — from FC Midtjylland to Brentford for €10m

Onyeka was the most expensive Nigerian in the just concluded transfer window. Brentford couldn’t resist splashing  €10 million on the 25-year-old to tie him to the club for a five-year period.

He also wasted little time in getting nods from fans at the Brentford Community Stadium for his outstanding debut for the club.

Taiwo Adeniyi — from Liverpool to Union Berlin for €6.5m

After joining Liverpool in 2015, Awoniyi had seven loan spells where he drifted around with little stability. However, his last loan outing at Union Berlin was good enough to convince the brass bosses at the club that the 23-year-old is deserving of a permanent deal worth €6.5 million.

Interestingly, the Nigerian is fast repaying the confidence invested in him as he has already scored five goals in 6 games this season.

Anayo Iwuala — from Enyimba to Esperance for $500,000

It was upward mobility for Iwuala who’s reputation as a skillful winger grew last season.

His exemplary performances with Enyimba in the league and on the continent earned him a brilliant $500,000 move away from Aba to the “blood and gold” city of Tunis to play for Esperance.

Simy Nwankwo — from Crotone to Salernitana 1919 on loan

Nwankwo’s move away from relegated Crotone was inevitable because of the brilliant goal-scoring prowess that placed him amongst the top scorers in Serie A last season.

Newly-promoted FC Salernitana snatched him up on a season-long loan with an option to buy the 29-year-old for €6 million if he impresses.

Henry Onyekuru  — from Monaco to Olympiakos for £5m

Onyekuru penned a 4-year deal that would see him stay at the Karaiskakis Stadium till 2025. He joined the club from AS Monaco, where he has been struggling for playing time, for a reported fee of around £5 million.

Emmanuel Dennis — from Club Brugge to Watford for an undisclosed fee

Dennis finally got his wishes after months of actively seeking ways out of his contract with Club Brugge. He spent a portion of last season on loan at Koln, and the spell proved infertile for the striker.

In came Watford with a fee reportedly around €4 million, and the 23-year-old has wasted no time showing his prowess, scoring a beautiful goal on his EPL debut.

Tyronne Ebuehi — from Benfica to Venezia on loan

Ebuehi joined Serie A’s Venezia FC on a season-long loan from Benfica.

The loan deal comes with a clause that Venezia can buy Ebuehi permanently if they are not relegated from Serie A after the 2021/22 campaign.

Issac Success — from Watford to Udinese

Success penned a three-year deal with Udinese from Watford, where recurring injuries hindered his five-year stay at the club.