By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Despite growing speculation over his future following Xabi Alonso’s departure, Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has confirmed he will remain at Bayer Leverkusen this summer, amid concrete interest from AC Milan.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to the San Siro in recent weeks, but he has put an end to the rumours by reaffirming his commitment to the Bundesliga champions.
Speaking to Sport Bild following Leverkusen’s preseason loss to Flamengo, Boniface made his intentions clear.
“My future is here. From my perspective, it’s 100 percent clear that I’m staying. I still have three years left on my contract. I want to win titles with Bayer and have a great season.”
Boniface also reflected on his struggles last season and the support he received from within the club.
“Even when things weren’t going so well for me last season, I spoke to [sporting director] Simon Rolfes and told him that I love it here.”
Addressing the failed January move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, he added: “The January transfer to Al-Nassr didn’t work out. It is what it is. I’m here.”
With the new season approaching, Boniface is expected to play a key role in Bayer Leverkusen’s attack, partnering Czech forward Patrick Schick as the club aims to defend its Bundesliga crown.
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.
