Top Ten: The most expensive Nigerian player transfers of 2022

As with their counterparts from each nook of the globe, a number of Nigerian footballers switched golf equipment in January and throughout the summer season switch window.

Soccernet.ng highlights the ten greatest switch offers involving Nigerian stars within the yr 2022.

10. Maduka Okoye: Sparta Rotterdam to Watford – €5m

Maduka Okoye accomplished an unbelievable rise from the fringes of the reserve workforce at Germany’s decrease league membership Fortuna Dusseldorf to turning into the undisputed primary goalkeeper at Sparta Rotterdam in a few years.

The Tremendous Eagles goalkeeper was rewarded with a big-money transfer to Watford, a deal that was sealed in January. The 5 million euros that exchanged palms was the best paid for any Nigerian goalkeeper in historical past.

Okoye solely joined Watford in the summertime but it surely has not gone in accordance with plan for the time being as he has spent extra time on the bench than on the pitch.

9. Cyriel Dessers: KRC Genk to US Cremonese – €6.50m

It was a spectacular 2021-2022 season for Dessers whereas on mortgage within the Netherlands at Feyenoord from KRC Genk.

The previous Heracles Almelo ahead powered Feyenoord to the ultimate of the Europa Convention League along with his ten objectives making him the competitors’s first-ever prime scorer.

A number of golf equipment had been eager about his companies however newly-promoted Serie A facet Cremonese paid over six million euros to win the race for his signature.

8. Joe Aribo: Glasgow Rangers to Southampton FC – €7.10m

A couple of years after making up the numbers in League One, Nigerian playmaker Joe Aribo performed and scored within the closing of the Europa League. Rangers misplaced that sport to Eintracht Frankfurt however that match confirmed that Aribo was ripe for the English Premier League.

And Southampton beat different suitors to his companies as Aribo fulfilled a life-long dream of enjoying on the planet’s most glamorous league.

7. Ademola Lookman: RB Leipzig to Atalanta BC – €9.00m

Atalanta BSC pulled off a shock transfer to persuade Ademola Lookman to shun the lures of the English Premier League and change to the Italian Serie A.

Leicester Metropolis had been the favourites to snap Lookman up from Leipzig after he netted eight objectives for the Foxes final season.

However Lookman signed for Atalanta as a substitute and has already smashed seven objectives in 15 appearances for the Blue-and-Blacks.

6. David Okereke: Membership Brugge to Cremonese – €10m

Whereas on mortgage within the Serie A from Membership Brugge final season, Okereke loved a unbelievable yr at Venezia FC, netting seven league objectives.

Venezia had been relegated, although and Okereke returned to Belgium.

However Cremonese had seen sufficient and had been satisfied of the standard of the previous Spezia frontman. And the newly-promoted facet splashed a then-club-record €10 million to deliver Okereke again to Italy.

Okereke has scored three Serie A and two Coppa Italia objectives since finishing the transfer.

5. Raphael Onyedika: FC Midtjylland to Membership Brugge KV – €10.00m

One in every of Nigeria’s most proficient children in Europe, Raphael Onyedika joined Belgian champions Membership Brugge for 10 million euros in the summertime. The 21-year-old reportedly snubbed Serie A champions AC Milan to workforce up with the Belgian giants.

Onyedika’s arrival in Brugge has already produced unforgettable moments as he helped FCB attain the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League for the primary time of their historical past.

4. Emmanuel Dennis: Watford to Nottingham Forest – €14.80m

Dennis was one of many revelations of the Premier League final season as he scored ten objectives and added six assists in 33 video games for Watford after becoming a member of from Membership Brugge for €4 million.

The Hornets had been relegated regardless of Dennis’s finest efforts and it was no shock to see the 25-year-old attacker leap ship when Nottingham Forest got here calling.

He has managed one aim and one help for the Tough Bushes in 9 EPL video games.

3. Umar Sadiq: Almeria to Actual Sociedad – €20.00m

For 2 seasons, Umar Sadiq was the most effective striker and essentially the most beneficial participant within the Spanish Segunda Division, inflicting nightmares for opposing defenders within the colors of Almeria.

Sadiq’s 18 objectives and 12 assists propelled Almeria to La Liga promotion on the finish of the 2021-22 season. 

Actual Sociedad swooped in for the Kaduna-born goalscorer after he scored a aim in two matches for Almeria within the prime flight.

The Tremendous Eagles striker netted two objectives in his first three matches for his new membership earlier than he suffered an unlucky cruciate ligament rupture. He’s dominated out of motion for the remainder of the marketing campaign.

2. Taiwo Awoniyi: Union Berlin to Nottingham Forest – €20.50m

After deciding to depart Liverpool completely final yr, Awoniyi returned to acquainted environment at Union Berlin and nearly immediately turned a membership hero.

The previous Golden Eaglets star netted 20 objectives in all competitions for the Germans together with 15 objectives in 31 Bundesliga matches.

And the Nigerian striker jumped on the likelihood to return to his beloved Premier League when Nottingham Forest tabled a then-club-record €20.50m bid for his companies.

Awoniyi has recorded three objectives in 13 EPL video games for the Reds.

1. Calvin Bassey: Glasgow Rangers to Ajax Amsterdam – €23.00m

Tremendous Eagles full-back Calvin Bassey is the most costly Nigerian participant to be transferred in 2022.

The defender peaked for Glasgow Rangers within the first half of the yr as his brilliance helped the Gers attain the ultimate of the Europa League. Bassey was man-of-the-match within the title decider towards Eintracht Frankfurt and he additionally made the event’s Finest XI.

Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam coughed out 23 million euros to take him to the Netherlands, making him the most costly Nigerian defender in historical past.

The ten costliest Nigerian participant transfers of 2022

1. Calvin Bassey: Glasgow Rangers to Ajax Amsterdam – €23.00m
2. Taiwo Awoniyi: Union Berlin to Nottingham Forest – €20.50m
3. Umar Sadiq: Almeria to Actual Sociedad – €20.00m
4. Emmanuel Dennis: Watford to Nottingham Forest – €14.80m
5. Raphael Onyedika: FC Midtjylland to Membership Brugge KV – €10.00m
6. David Okereke: Membership Brugge to Cremonese – €10m
7. Ademola Lookman: RB Leipzig to Atalanta BC – €9.00m
8. Joe Aribo: Glasgow Rangers to Southampton FC – €7.10m
9. Cyriel Dessers: KRC Genk to US Cremonese – €6.50m
10. Maduka Okoye: Sparta Rotterdam to Watford – €5m