Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface could become one of the most expensive Nigerian transfers in history should Bayer Leverkusen decide to allow him to leave in the summer, Soccernet.ng reports.
Boniface only joined Bayer Leverkusen in July from Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise for just over 20 million euros.
However, the Real Sapphire academy product needed little time to adapt to his new German home, scoring goals for fun in local and continental competitions.
Boniface notched ten goals and seven assists in only 16 Bundesliga games and added an equally impressive four goals and an assist in five Europa League matches. The 23-year-old striker also netted two goals in two appearances in the DFB-Pokal.
With an incredible 24-goal contribution in 23 games in all competitions, it is no surprise that Boniface is on the wishlist of some of the wealthiest clubs in the English Premier League.
An unnamed English club has already reportedly made contact with Bayer Leverkusen for Boniface ahead of what promises to be a dramatic summer.
However, BayerLeverkusen’s immediate stance is that the German side wants to keep Boniface for at least another year, ruling out a possible sale.
Should interested buyers persist and Leverkusen agree to sit on the negotiations table, the club will only listen to offers not less than 55 million euros, according to transfer expert Plettigoal.
That would be the second-highest transfer fee any club has splashed on a Nigerian player, behind the €75 million Napoli spent to secure Victor Osimhen’s signing from Lille in September 2020.
Boniface missed Nigeria’s campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, where the Super Eagles won a silver medal due to an injury that required adductor surgery.
The former Bodø/Glimt ace has, however, returned to training and is ready to help Bayer Leverkusen push for the Bundesliga title.