By Wale Mustapha
Newcastle United are reportedly targeting Nigerian striker Victor Boniface as one of their key acquisitions for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Boniface, who recently signed a contract extension with Bayer Leverkusen until 2029, could be available for the right offer.
Despite the long-term deal, the Bundesliga club is open to negotiating his departure under suitable terms.
Earlier this year, Boniface came close to joining Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, who made a €70 million bid for the striker.
However, Leverkusen rejected the offer, and Al Nassr turned to Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran instead.
Now, Newcastle United has expressed a strong interest in the 24-year-old forward, with discussions already underway between the club and Boniface’s representatives, according to The Chronicle.
Since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Belgium’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023, Boniface has impressed, scoring 31 goals and providing 11 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions for Die Werkself.
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.
