By Dayo Awoniyi
AC Milan have identified Nigerian striker Victor Boniface as their primary transfer target this summer, with the Serie A club pushing to finalize a deal before the start of pre-season.
Boniface, currently with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, is reportedly open to a move after a proposed January transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr collapsed.
The failed switch saw the 23-year-old lose his starting role under then-coach Xabi Alonso.
Although new Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly open to keeping Boniface, the club is willing to entertain offers in the region of €40 million.
Reports from Italy suggest that Boniface has already accepted personal terms with AC Milan, and negotiations between the clubs are expected to intensify in the coming days.
Should the deal go through, Boniface would join his international teammate Samuel Chukwueze at the San Siro—though Chukwueze’s own future with Milan remains uncertain amid growing transfer speculation.
Boniface played a key role in Leverkusen’s historic 2023/24 season, helping them secure their first-ever Bundesliga title and reach the UEFA Europa League final.
His strength, movement, and goal-scoring ability have made him one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe.
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.
