Nigerian Players Seal Football Deals In Europe
The football players transfer market which opens at the end of the domestic league is always indicative of how players performed throughout the previous season.
In other words, whether a player secures a big-money move or not depends on how he performed throughout out the season.
This year's transfer market was further boosted with the 2014 FIFA World Cup holding during the transfer period, a platform for players to showcase their talents in order to secure big-money move to bigger club sides.
While the likes of Liuz Suarez (despite his offence of biting Giorgio Chiellini of Italy at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil) and James Rodriguez were able to pull off lucrative transfer moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, due to their sterling performances in Brazil, no African, especially Nigerian, players have been able to seal a mouth watering deal.
* Brown Ideye
Ironically, none of the Nigerian players whose deals have been confirmed played in Brazil, a clear indication that the world cup may have further dimmed the market values of some of the Super Eagles players at the Mundial.
Below are some of the done deals for Nigerian players; stating clearly, 'who' went 'where'.
Brown Ideye: Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) to West Bromwich Albion (England) (£10m)
The biggest move of the summer yet for any Nigerian player is Brown Ideye from Dynamo Kiev to West Brom on a 3 +1 year deal.
Despite not making the party to the just concluded 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Ideye, 25, had done enough to secure a club record deal with the Baggies which has Victor Anichebe on its payroll.
* Imoh Bassey
The former Sochaux player had been training individually since returning to practice with the Ukrainian Cup winners, and for transfer market followers, that was a clear handwriting on the wall that he was being protected from getting injured before a potential sale.
West Brom seem to be convinced with Ideye's return of 42 goals in 103 appearances for Dynamo Kiev.
Nosa Igiebor: Real Betis (Spain) to Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) (Undisclosed)
After being hampered by injury while playing for his modest Real Betis in the Spanish La Liga, Nosa Igiebor could not make it to the World Cup as he could not prove his fitness during Nigeria's pre world cup training camp in the USA.
However, some eye-catching performances during last season were enough for the Betis starter to secure a transfer to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel albeit a relatively lesser team in terms of pedigree.
Igiebor penned a three - year deal with the Israeli club for an undisclosed fee.
* Macauley Christantus
The 23-year-old had a first stint in Israel when he won the State Cup with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s bitter rival, Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2012 before spending a season at the Bloomfield Stadium prior to being snapped up by Spanish side Real Betis.
He has starred for Lillestrom in the Norwegian League and for Warri Wolves and Sharks in the Nigerian Premier League.
Emmanuel Expo: Molde FK (Norway) To Haugesund (Norway) (Undisclosed)
Beijing 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist, Emmanuel Ekpo, signed for FK Haugesund from rivals Molde FK in the Norwegian League.
The financial terms plus duration of contract have not been revealed by the Europa League campaigners, but allnigeriasoccer.com has been specially informed by the playmaker’s agent, Atta Aneke, that he will remain at FKH for the next four months.
“Emmanuel Ekpo has signed with FK Haugesund on loan until the end of this season, which is for four months. Because there is no option to buy in the contract, Ekpo would become free agent as from next season.
“He wasn’t playing regularly at Molde after he refused to renew his contract. So we decided it was best for him to join FKH,” Aneke informed.
Emmanuel Ekpo was on parade for 68 minutes as FKH defeated home team Sarajevo 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
The Nigerian player has played nonstop in the Norwegian Tippeligaen for the past two and half years.
Macauley Christantus: Las Palmas (Spain) To Sivasspor (Turkey) (Undisclosed)
Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor few days ago announced the hiring of free agent Macauley Chrisantus, who last defended the colours of Las Palmas in Spain.
* Nosa Igiebor
Christantus, 23, whom many touted to be the next 'big thing' for Nigeria following his seven goals with the Nigerian U-17 side at the U-17 World Cup in Korea in 2007 moved to Hamburg SV in the German League after the competition but failed to impress.
According to a statement on Sivasspor's official website, the lanky Nigerian player has committed his future to the central Turkey team for the next three seasons.
Chrisantus, a product of grassroots team Moderate Stars Kaduna, had been studying proposals from two unnamed German clubs before he decided it was best he pitched his tent at Sivasspor.
He will lead the front-line of Sivasspor alongside another Nigerian forward, John Utaka this coming season.
Imoh Ezekiel Standard Liege (Belgium) To Al Arabi (Qatar) (Undisclosed)
Qatar Stars League side Al Arabi have agreed terms with Standard Liege over the signing of Nigerian forward Imoh Ezekiel.
According to reports, the one - cap Nigeria international will fly to the Qatari capital next Friday to complete the transfer that will end his two-and-a-half year association with Standard Liege.
Imoh Ezekiel was courted by teams in Germany, France, Portugal, Russia and England but it was gathered that the cash offered by Al Arabi was too good to turn down by the Belgian club.
According to sources close to the negotiations between Standard Liege and Al Arabi, the 20-year-old will sign a three - year contract, with the option of a further year.
A product of 36 Lion, Ezekiel made his debut for Standard Liege in the 2-4 loss to Zulte Waregem back in February 2012.
His contract with the Belgium champions was due to expire in the summer of 2017.
Gbenga Arokoyo: Mjallby AIF (Sweden) To Gaziantepspor (Turkey) (Undisclosed)
Gbenga Arokoyo signed for Turkish side, Gaziantepspor despite the fact that the club narrowly beat the drop at the end of last season.
The former Kwara Football Academy upstart was announced through the club's official channel to have penned a four-year deal.
The 21-year-old stopper last defended the colours of Mjallby AIF, making 48 appearances for the side in the Swedish topflight.
Gbenga Arokoyo is the second Nigerian player to agree terms with Gaziantepspor in the close season.
The Tahsin Tam led side had earlier announced the capture of attacking midfielder John Chibuike.
Daniel Adejo: Reggina (Italy) To Kalloni (Greece) (Undisclosed)
Greece Super League campaigners, Kalloni snapped up former Flying Eagles defender Daniel Adejo ahead of the new season.
Regarded as one of the most technical defenders in the Serie B, Adejo reportedly inked a two-year deal with Kalloni.
For the past 6 years, Adejo turned out for Reggina, for whom he made 160 appearances in the Serie B, netting 3 times.
He will practice with his new teammates for the first time when they hit Italy for their buildup ahead of the start of the season.
It would be recalled that at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Egypt, Daniel Adejo made four appearances for the Flying Eagles, who were knocked out of the competition in the second round.
While the transfer market I'd expected to close on 1 September, 2014, there are still shock moves expected for the Nigerian players and their African counterpart as no African player has attracted a lucrative deal so far.
The Likes of Alex Song, Ogenyi Onazi, Victor Moses, Shola Ameobi and many others are still expected to make a lucrative move to top clubs in Europe before the transfer market closes.
For Nigerian players, football faithfuls are hoping a couple of them could spring a surprise and seal a jaw dropping move to world class clubs before the transfer window is shut.
Source: Legit.ng
