Nicole Payne: Nigeria defender inches closer to seal first professional contract with PSG

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria defender Nicole Payne is close to joining French D1 Arkema side, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) according to sources in France, according French media.

Per French journalist, Benjamin Quarez, the West Virginia Mountaineers player has carried out her medical examination with the former French champions ten days ago in a bid to join the club.

The 22-year-old is yet to put pen to paper with PSG despite the completion of her medicals. When officially confirmed, Payne  she will be leaving the United States of America (USA) for professional career for the first time in Europe following her graduation earlier this year.

Nicole will be following the footsteps of her elder sister, Toni, who joined Belgian side Ajax on her first move to Europe, before later teaming up with Spanish side Sevilla, where she has been since 2018.

Nicole, the younger sister of Sevilla midfielder Toni was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, USA and attended Oak Mountain High School and West Virginia University before opting to play for the Super Falcons.

Payne had previously represented the USA at U-17 and U-19, before making her senior debut for Nigeria 2021 as a 90th-minute substitute in a 1-0 loss to Jamaica in a friendly match on June 10.

She alongside her sister were part of the Super Falcons at the 2022 Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco as the team qualified for the World Cup. They went on to make history with Nigeria, becoming the first sisters to both start in a WAFCON match for the Super Falcons.

Her elder brother, Stephen Payne also plays football, rekindling the football circle in the family.