By Dayo Awoniyi
West Ham United have identified Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika as a potential replacement for Tomas Soucek, amid growing uncertainty over the Czech international’s future at the club.
The 24-year-old Onyedika, currently on the books of Belgian side Club Brugge, has emerged as a top target for the Hammers, who are reportedly preparing for Soucek’s possible exit.
Newly promoted Leeds United are said to be among the clubs monitoring Soucek’s situation.
According to TBR Football, West Ham have opened preliminary talks with Club Brugge regarding a potential summer transfer.
Onyedika, who has two years remaining on his contract, is believed to be open to a move to London, which would make him the latest Nigerian to feature in the English Premier League.
Club Brugge are reportedly willing to consider offers this summer to avoid losing the midfielder for a reduced fee in the final year of his contract.
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.
