Arokodare, Uche, Chukwueze, Boniface, others make stealthy career switches
By Ed Emeanua
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface’s over hyped, but failed move to AC Milan must have compelled his countrymen into choosing stealthier pathway to pasture new.
Two weeks ago, player and Italian giants, AC Milan, pulled out kleig lights, rolled out the drumbeats, unpacked the glow, plus a lavish touch of love here and and a generous online selfies there, in an ostentatious glamorous announcement of the Nigeria forward’s likely move from the Bundesliga to Serie A.
But the move was ditched by the Rossoneri at the last minute. AC Milan has blamed their decision not to sign the Nigerian on failed medical examination due to his past medical history of a problematic knee. But conventional wisdom believe that the Italian giants’ developed a last minute cold feet to bring the Nigerian aboard.
Boniface returned from his Milan ditching to Leverkusen though saddened by his experience but now the wiser. But his countrymen appeared to have become even smarter by their compatriot’s shoddy treatment in Milan.
To avoid falling into the same bad public spectacle, Nigerian footballers in their rank and file chose more serene roadways to make their moves especially on deadline day football transfer for summer 2025.
Christantus Uche’s career continues a quiet development, steadily growing with leaps and bounds. With even much more stealth, the pacy, skillful, and highly lethal attacking midfielder has been lined up to flourish with Crystal Palace. His deadline day move to South London on Monday took many by surprise.
Yet, it was the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ den that he was initially billed to call his new home amidst a calculated, but softened howling beckoning from the receptive pack at Wolves’ Molineux Stadium over his anticipated landing. But the deal fell through forging a change in plan.
Uche’s quiet deadline day departure from Madrid, Spain, to Selhurst, South London, England, is even more notable as the Nigerian may have been directly lined up to replace former Crystal Palace and England electrifying play maker, Eberechi Eze.
The Nigerian joins the Eagles nest on loan from Getafe in a deal worth €20 million.
Eze, now with Arsenal, made his summer transfer up north to Islington, London, few days ago. The England play maker has already debuted for the Gunners against EPL defending champions Liverpool, in what became manager Mikel Arteta’s first loss of the season, a 0-1 away defeat to the Merseyside giants on Sunday.
Equally on the tranquil side is Somtochukwu Alan Udochukwu Boniface’s deadline day move from Chelsea to Ipswich Town. The 18-year-old England U17 arrives Portman Road, Suffolk, England, on Monday as a development signing.
Boniface has chosen to join the Ipswich U23s instead of Kieran McKenna’s first team. The full back is eligible to play for Nigeria.
Perhaps, no 2025 summer deadline day move for a Nigerian is stealthier than Samuel Chukwueze’s shock loan move from AC Milan to Fulham on Monday.
The deal on a full season loan has a caveat to buy, that could see Samu eventually settling in permanently in Craven Cottage for a total of €25 to €26 million next summer.
Tolu Arokodare continues to be in the news for the right reasons. He has equally surreptitiously completed his shock 2025 summer deadline day transfer from Limburg, in the Belgian City of Genk, to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium, in West Midlands, England.
The Super Eagles forward joins on a four year contract, with the rider of a year opportunity within easy reach. Arokodare’s deal with Wolves comes with a fee of €27 million, earmarking his move as one of the most costly transfer in KRC Genk’s existence.
The Nigerian ended his final season with De Smurfen with a haul of 21 goals to his kitty in the 2024-2025 Belgian Pro League term with seven assists to booth. The 24-year-old’s goal count for the entire season was 23.
In yet another clandestine 2025 summer transfer moment, Crystal Palace and Ireland youth international Franco Umeh-Chibueze joined Portsmouth for around £500,000.
Image credit: Getty Images
The transfer of the Ireland left wing-back comes after two and a half years stay at The Eagles nest.
Umeh-Chibueze transferred from Cork City, Ireland, to Crystal Palace in January 2023. An outright attacker, he was transformed into a left wing-back at Selhurst Park.
The 20-year-old was on several occasion in Palace’s first-team selection, even making the bench in the Premier League, but could not break into the main team. He was eventually deemed surplus to needs at Selhurst Park.
Top of the pick of Nigerians in the catalog of Summer 2025 eventual quiet movers has turned out to be none other than Victor Boniface Okoh himself. The Bayer Leverkusen forward’s move on Monday’s transfer deadline day to Werder Bremen shows that the Super Eagles forward learns from his mistakes.
