As one of the prominent football playing nations in the world, Nigeria is no doubt blessed with immensely talented strikers who have carved a niche for themselves in European football and are presently the transfer targets of some of the leading clubs in Europe.
It is, therefore, no surprise that the current most expensive and sought after player out of Africa is Super Eagles and Napoli’s goal scoring machine, Victor Osimhen.
Apart from the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner, others like Victor Boniface, Taiwo Awoniyi, Terem Moffi, Gift Orban and Paul Onuachu are also flying Nigeria’s flag at full mast in their respective clubs.
So, from the English Premier League to the Spanish LaLiga, Nigerian born strikers are grabbing the headlines on a regular basis as they bang in goals to justify their high rating by football pundits.
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Trust Sports, therefore, takes a look at the profiles of some of these strikers who are getting rave reviews due to their proficiency in front of opponents’ goal.
Victor Osimhen
Napoli’s Osimhen is currently the face of Nigerian football and is highly sought after in Europe. His goal scoring ability has made him a fan favourite in Naples, following in the footsteps of the legendary Diego Maradona.
Last season, he scored 26 league goals, winning the Capocannoniere award as Serie A’s top scorer, and helped Napoli secure their first Serie A title in a long time. He also scored 31 goals in all competitions, helping Napoli reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite interest from top clubs, Napoli kept hold of Osimhen. With his strength, speed, and incredible jumping ability, Osimhen can score goals in various ways, from simple tap-ins to powerful shots and towering headers. The 24-year-old striker has so far scored 5 goals in the league with no assists this season. He currently earns £112,000 (N104m) weekly and has a net worth of $2m (N1.5bn).
Victor Boniface
This is no doubt the rave of the moment. Boniface who is the interest of top European clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Napoli (in case his compatriot Osimhen leaves), AC Milan and Napoli is definitely the latest revelation from Nigeria. The bullish striker has taken the Bundesliga by storm with his blistering pace and goal scoring ability. His impressive start this season with Bayer Leverkusen has earned him a well-deserved reputation. After successful stints with Bodø/Glimt in Norway and Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, he made a big impact last season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and becoming the leading scorer in the Europa League. Leverkusen recognized his talent and invested €20m in him, a move that has already paid off. He was named the Bundesliga’s Player of the Month in August and has scored six goals with two assists in just four appearances. His outstanding form also earned him a call-up to the Nigerian national team and his present transfer value is said to be $100m.
Taiwo Awoniyi
Awoniyi made a big impact at Nottingham Forest after joining from Union Berlin for a club-record fee. He scored 20 goals for Union Berlin in the previous season and returned to England after being part of Liverpool’s academy. Awoniyi found his form towards the end of the season, scoring six goals in the final four games to help Forest stay in the Premier League. He has continued his impressive form this season, scoring in the first three games and extending his streak to seven consecutive league games with a goal. Since May 2023, only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have been involved in more Premier League goals than Awoniyi, with 11 goal contributions. He currently has 3 goals and 2 assists in the ongoing league. He earns £50,000 (N46m) weekly and is worth $1.5 million (N1.1bn).
Terem Moffi
Moffi made a bold decision by choosing to sign with Nice instead of pursuing interest from the Premier League. After initially joining on loan from Lorient, he impressed enough to secure a permanent move.
Last season, Moffi showcased his scoring prowess by netting 18 league goals across both clubs. He has carried his form into the new season, already contributing three goals and two assists in five Ligue 1 games. At the international level, he has scored three goals in 10 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Although he was not included in the squad for the recent AFCON qualification match against São Tomé and Príncipe, Moffi’s talent and potential are undeniable. Terem Moffi’s net worth is estimated at around $1m (N765m) and earns €275,000, which is approximately N138 million
Paul Onuachu
Paul Onuachu is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Super Eagles and Süper Lig club Trabzonspor on loan from EFL Championship club Southampton. Onuachu has won League titles in Denmark and Belgium, and while in the latter country was voted Belgian Footballer of the Year and won the country’s top scoring Golden Bull trophy.
The self-styled Nigerian ‘Goal King’ has so far scored two goals in two games for Trabzonspor. He has a networth of £3-10 million with his salary around £21,000 (N19m) weekly.
Gift Orban
Like Boniface, Orban is another big thing that is tipped to play for the Super Eagles. However, having dual nationalities is delaying his debut for Nigeria. He appears to be torn between Nigeria, his father’s country and Togo where his mother hails from. But the lightning forward has since pitched a tent with his father as he has expressly reiterated his love for Nigeria. After honing his skills in Togo, Orban gained global attention with his goals for Stabæk and Gent. He finished 2022 as the top scorer in Norway’s second tier and earned a move to Belgian side Gent in January. Since then, the 21-year-old has scored 26 goals in 31 appearances. One notable achievement was his first-half hat-trick against Istanbul Basaksehir in last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League, which set a record as the fastest hat-trick in UEFA club competition, scored in just three minutes and 25 seconds. Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Fulham, have shown interest in Orban. In the ongoing season, he has only managed two goals in seven games played so far. The Gent forward net-worth is reportedly worth $1.5 to $10 million having signed with a new club in Belgium this year with his salary reportedly to be around £1.2m (N1.1bn).
Cyriel Dessers
Dessers has primarily played in Belgian and Dutch football throughout his club career. He was the top scorer in the Eredivisie during the 2019-20 season with Heracles Almelo. In the 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League, he once again topped the scoring charts and was even named in the competition’s Team of the Season while representing Feyenoord. Currently with Rangers, he has scored one goal in five appearances this season.
Meanwhile, Umar Sadiq who recently returned from a season-ending injury he sustained last season is gradually returning to form as he bagged an assist as Real Sociedad defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Spanish LaLiga last Saturday.
Samuel Chukwueze too is playing regularly for Italian giants, AC Milan in both Serie A and the Champions League but yet to open his goals account. However, he has shown hunger to end his goal drought.
With his two goals for Nantes in the current season, Moses Simon has fared better than both Sadiq and Chukwueze. He has firmly established himself in the attack of the Ligue 1 side.
