By Wale Mustapha
Bayer Leverkusen have placed a €50 million asking price on Nigerian striker Victor Boniface as the Bundesliga club prepare for a summer rebuild.
According to sources close to the club, Leverkusen are open to selling the 24-year-old in order to raise funds for new signings following the departure of former head coach Xabi Alonso, who recently took over at Real Madrid.
Boniface, who joined Leverkusen from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023, endured an injury-plagued 2024/25 campaign but still managed to register 11 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.
The Super Eagles forward was on the verge of a high-profile move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr during the January transfer window for a reported €70 million, but Leverkusen opted to block the deal.
Al Nassr later signed Jhon Durán from Aston Villa instead.
Despite his fitness issues, Boniface remains a highly rated asset in Europe and the Middle East, with several clubs monitoring his situation ahead of the summer transfer window.
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.
