'I gave out my designer clothes' - Former Al-Nassr target Boniface opens up on missed N80b payday

Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface has revealed how a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia, worth an eye-watering ₦80 billion, collapsed at the final moment, after he had already packed his bags and given away his designer clothes and shoes.

The Bayer Leverkusen star was on the brink of joining Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr during the January transfer window, but the highly lucrative deal fell through just before it could be finalised.

Boniface had already agreed personal terms with Al-Nassr and stood to earn a staggering €45 million (approximately N80 billion in Nigerian currency) in wages over the course of a proposed three-year contract.

Despite the Nigeria international passing a medical and Bayer Leverkusen reaching a club-to-club agreement with Al-Nassr, the Saudi side opted to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa.

"There was one part that was about money. I have faced a lot of injuries and I am young,” Boniface said on The Culture League podcast.

"It was the January transfer window, I had a great offer from Saudi. I was thinking, I have been injured so many times. If I go to this place, play two, three seasons… I started calling family."

Boniface revealed that public interest and online chatter about the deal added pressure to his decision-making process.

"I was on the internet, people were already calculating the money. I called my elder brother who loves football. I said to him, 'I have an offer to go to this Saudi team; I also had an offer from a top team in Italy.' 

"He said, "What’s wrong with you? Go to Italy — you’ll play in the Champions League, there’s the World Cup."

But what seemed like sound career advice quickly changed after Boniface's brother looked into the numbers.

"I asked him if he was sure, and he said, ‘Yes, no problem.’ So I ended the call. I dropped the phone and was still thinking, then two minutes later he called back. 

"He said, ‘Someone sent me something from Tunde Ednut.’ He saw the money, asked me if I was crazy, and told me I need to go to Saudi Arabia."

Boniface stressed that the decision wasn’t solely his as Bayer Leverkusen had their own financial considerations.

"I already agreed to the offer because it’s not just about me. It’s about the club too, because there’s a lot going on in the football world. 

"People think it’s just about the football players, but it’s also coming from the club. If little money is offered to the club, they will say no. The club also wanted the money, it was about 70 million euros, and they said yes."

With the green light from the club, the Nigerian striker thought the move was all but confirmed.

"I was ready to go. I packed my bags. I live in Cologne, we drove to Frankfurt. The money is a lot, to be honest, so most of my designer clothes and shoes, I had already given them out to my friends at home. 

"The flight was waiting. I was in my hotel room praying for the deal to happen but it didn’t work out last minute."

Boniface, who has directly participated in 44 goals (32 goals, 12 assists) since joining Leverkusen in July 2023, has been linked with a summer move to AC Milan.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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