Chibuike Nwaiwu: Fulham eye move for Nigeria and Trabzonspor defender

Nigeria centre-back Chibuike Nwaiwu is being linked with a move from Trabzonspor to Premier League side Fulham as the London club assess defensive options for the new season. The 22-year-old, who joined Trabzonspor in January 2026, is under contract in Turkey until 30 June 2030, meaning any deal would require the Super Lig club to be persuaded to sell.

Nwaiwu’s valuation is currently around €10m, and Fulham are understood to be monitoring whether Trabzonspor would be prepared to negotiate for a fee in that region. The defender has made 16 league appearances for the Black Sea club, scoring three goals, and has also featured in the Turkish Cup as part of a side that lifted the domestic trophy in the 2025-26 campaign.

Born in Port Harcourt and standing at 1.93m, Nwaiwu moved to Europe in 2024 when he left Enyimba Aba for Wolfsberger AC, before his performances in the Bundesliga attracted Trabzonspor, who paid €5.5m to sign him midway through last season. He has since established himself quickly enough to draw attention from England.

Fulham are exploring centre-back additions ahead of the new Premier League campaign, with Nwaiwu’s combination of recent top-flight experience in Austria, Germany and Turkey putting him on their shortlist. For now, Trabzonspor’s strong contractual position and the length of time remaining on his deal mean the situation remains at the level of interest rather than active negotiations.