Simy Nwankwo joins newly-promoted Salernitana on loan

Simy Nwankwo has joined Serie A’s U.S. Salernitana 1919 on a season-long loan from FC Crotone.

The transfer was announced in a statement on the club’s official website on Thursday.

The newly-promoted team struck a deal that permits them to buy the Nigerian for €6 million from the relegated Crotone.

The 29-year-old lanky forward has also been assigned the club’s jersey number 25 ahead of Salernitana’s first Serie A appearance after over 20 years of absence.

“The U.S. Salernitana 1919 announces that it has reached an agreement with the F.C. Crotone for the temporary transfer with the obligation of redemption of the striker class Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo. The player will wear the number 25 shirt,” the statement read.

Nwankwo, who had only represented Nigeria on four occasions, scored 20 goals for Crotone last season.

Although his outputs couldn’t save the club from relegation, he was listed among Serie A top marksmen.

En route to the illustrious list, he matched George Weah’s record as he became only the third African to score in five consecutive Serie A games.

He then broke Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s decade-long record for the most goals by a Nigerian in a single season in any of the top five leagues in Europe — English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Série A, and Ligue One.