By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Erik ten Hag is reportedly planning to keep Nigerian striker Victor Boniface at the club for the upcoming season, despite ongoing speculation linking the Super Eagles forward with a summer move away.
According to Bundesliga Insider, Ten Hag is keen to test a new attacking setup featuring Boniface alongside Czech striker Patrik Schick. The Dutch manager, recently appointed to succeed Xabi Alonso, sees potential in pairing the two forwards in a revamped offensive strategy.
Boniface was previously linked with a January move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, but the club opted to sign John Durán instead.
Following Alonso’s departure, fresh rumors had resurfaced suggesting a possible Middle East transfer. However, Ten Hag’s interest in keeping the 23-year-old signals a change in direction.
Currently on holiday in Nigeria, Boniface participated in William Troost-Ekong’s charity match and appears relaxed about his future.
The striker recently signed a contract extension with Leverkusen after playing a key role in the club’s historic Bundesliga title win in 2023.
With pre-season preparations set to begin soon, Boniface is expected to return to Germany and be part of Ten Hag’s squad plans moving forward.
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.
