By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Blackpool are in negotiations with Premier League side Crystal Palace over a season-long loan deal for Nigeria-eligible winger Malcolm Ebiowei, as they aim to bolster their attacking options ahead of the new campaign.
Ebiowei, 21, joined Palace from Derby County in the summer of 2022 after catching the eye with a string of promising performances under then-manager Wayne Rooney.
However, his time at Selhurst Park has yet to live up to expectations, with a series of loan spells failing to reignite the early spark he showed in the Championship.
The winger has since had brief stints with Hull City, Oxford United, and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek, but struggled to make a significant impact.
His most recent loan at Oxford proved particularly underwhelming — making just six appearances without scoring and totaling only 64 minutes of league action before the loan was terminated in January 2024.
According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Blackpool boss Steve Bruce is eager to bring in the talented wide man, with hopes that a full season in League One could help him rediscover his form and confidence.
Ebiowei remains eligible to represent Nigeria at international level, and a successful spell at Bloomfield Road could put him back in the spotlight.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
