Nigeria Star's Transfer To The Blues Dead In The Water, Seven Years After Missing Out On Chelsea Move

Nigeria assistant captain Eddy Onazi has missed out on a dream move to England after he was denied a work permit by the British authorities.

Birmingham City and their Turkish counterparts Trabzonspor had agreed terms for the transfer of the midfielder, but his application for a work permit has been rejected by the Football Association.

An appeal made by the Blues was rejected on Wednesday despite Onazi being a regular in the Super Eagles.

The BBC has reported that Onazi's application was turned down by the FA because Nigeria finished 54th on aggregate in the Fifa rankings over the past two years.

Seven years ago, the proposed switch of the My People FC product to Chelsea fell through because he was not eligible for a work permit as at that time.

Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry Redknapp, who now coaches Birmingham City, later invited Onazi to White Hart Lane for trials but a deal did not materialize.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel