Transfer News: Poor window for Osimhen and 2 other Super Eagles stars 

The 2025 summer transfer window started with so much optimism, but it will likely end on the lowest of lows for many Nigerian players. 

This summer was the window where many Super Eagles stars were expected to make promising moves, but it has not worked out for many of them so far. 

For some, the likelihood of them changing clubs to play regular football is slim because there are no major offers for them. 

On the other hand, Super Eagles stars who have changed clubs this summer made switches that have not lived up to expectations. 

We take a look at how Nigerian players have fared in this transfer window. 

Even before the transfer window officially opened, Osimhen’s future was expected to dominate the headlines, rightly so. 

Well, it did not disappoint as Osimhen’s future dominated the headlines. The Super Eagles star spent last season on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, leading the Turkish club to a league and cup double after scoring 37 goals and registering eight assists in 41 games. 

Although he formed a deep bond with Galatasaray fans, Osimhen was not expected to return to the Turkish club this summer. 

He should not have gone to Turkey in the first place because his talents deserved better, but that was the only viable option last summer. 

However, this summer presented many opportunities, considering Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle were all in the market for a number 9. 

Still, a player like Osimhen will spend his peak years in the Turkish top flight after sealing a permanent return to Galatasaray. 

It should not have happened, but the parties involved could not reach a compromise. While Galatasaray were not the only club interested in Osimhen, they were the only club willing to match Osimhen’s wages. 

Other clubs interested, including the Premier League teams, were not willing to match Osimhen’s wages, although they had no problem paying his €75m release clause to Napoli. 

Osimhen could also have moved to any of these clubs, especially Chelsea, but he was not willing to accept a pay cut. 

Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahilal were the other club willing to match Osimhen’s wages and even pay him three times what he currently earns. 

However, Osimhen was not willing to play in Saudi Arabia at this stage of his career, which is only right. 

But a move to Turkey, where he will still earn a significant amount of money, signifies a lack of ambition because his talents deserve to be seen in Europe’s top leagues. 

Nonetheless, if you are not willing to accept a pay cut, then a move to Saudi Arabia would have made more sense because it would have made him the highest-earning African player in the world. 

In addition, a move to Galatasaray adds nothing to his legacy, having won the league title with the club last season. Unless he leads the club to a European title, this move is unlikely to enhance his profile.

Also, considering there is not too much difference in the quality of both leagues, choosing the Turkish league over the Saudi Pro League does not make sense. 

The moment Leicester City got relegated from the Premier League, Wilfred Ndidi was one of the players expected to leave the club at a giveaway price.

Although no one expected Ndidi to leave for a big six club or a top club in Europe, he still had the quality to play for a decent side in Europe. 

However, the best move Ndidi could make was a move to Turkey, where he signed for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Besiktas. 

It is surprising that he could not get a move to the Premier League, even if it is with one of the newly-promoted clubs. 

A move to Spain or France would even have sufficed, but a move to the third-best team in Turkey shows a lack of ambition. 

It also begs the long-lingering question- are Nigerian players good enough for top clubs? One might want to argue that the age factor could have played a role, but Thomas Partey, who still has a rape case hanging over his head, got a move to Villarreal as a free agent after leaving Arsenal. 

PS: Partey is four years older than Ndidi. 

Another transfer that was disappointing to see was Bright Osayi-Samuel’s move to Birmingham City. 

The Super Eagles full joined the Blues from Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, but it is a transfer that just does not make sense because it is basically a downgrade. 

Yes, the lure of England might have played a role, but it’s a move from the top division in Turkey to the second division in England. 

It would even have made a little sense if he joined a club that has promotion aspirations, but Birmingham are unlikely to get promoted to the Premier League next season. 

This leads to these questions: What was the reason behind this move? Were there no other clubs interested in his services? 

Looking at this move and other transfers involving Nigerian players, it is not an overreaction to say this has been a poor transfer window for Super Eagles stars.