Nigeria has never been shy of producing an elite striker. Over the years, the likes of Yakubu, Obafemi Martins, and Odion Ighalo have all scored goals on a regular basis in prestigious leagues such as the Premier League and Serie A. In more modern times, however, it's been Victor Osimhen who has been flying the Nigerian flag high.
The 27-year-old shot to prominence when he netted 26 goals in 32 games and led Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990 three years ago. Since then, he has moved on to Galatasaray and helped himself to 59 goals in his first two seasons in Istanbul. But he isn't the only Nigerian striker that has been in the headlines this summer.
Nigerians on the Move
A slew of Super Eagles strikers moved to new clubs throughout the course of the ongoing summer transfer window. Teenage winger Zadok Yohanna joined Premier League outfit Brighton from Swedish side AIK for £21.5m, despite the 19-year-old having just 18 senior appearances under his belt at the time of the move. Former Manchester City and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho was also on the move, joining Osimhen in Turkey, albeit in the second division with Bursaspor.
While those moves were certainly worthy of headlines in their own right, two other strikers have embarked upon make-or-break transfers this summer. Will they thrive in their new surroundings? Or could they soon be plummeting down the footballing pyramid? Let's take a look.
Taiwo Awoniyi Joins Newly Promoted Coventry
Four years ago, Taiwo Awoniyi was one of the hottest strikers in European football. He netted 20 goals in 43 games in all competitions for Union Berlin in 2021/22, helping the German outfit to a hugely impressive fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga. That secured the former Liverpool youngster a £17m move to the Premier League's Nottingham Forest, and the Ilorin-born target man would net 11 goals in his debut season at the City Ground. Since then, however, his career has somewhat stagnated.
Awoniyi has netted just 12 times in the three seasons that have followed and has fallen down the Tricky Trees pecking order behind fellow strikers Igor Jesus and Chris Wood. However, this summer, he has been handed a Premier League lifeline by newly promoted Coventry City. The Sky Blues paid £9m to secure the bruising striker from their divisional rivals, and now the 29-year-old has a monumental task ahead of him.
Online betting sites make Coventry one of the favourites to suffer an immediate relegation back to the Championship this season. The latest soccer odds for the upcoming campaign make the newly promoted outfit an 8/11 contender to fall through the trap door next May, with only Hull City considered a more likely candidate. And for Awoniyi, the task couldn't have a more difficult beginning as his new side travel to champions Arsenal for their first game of the season.
But Awoniyi and Coventry could well be a match made in heaven. Frank Lampard's side played with American target man Haji Wright leading the line last season, and they did so to brilliant effect as the USMNT international helped himself to 17 league goals. Awoniyi is a striker in a similar mould, only with more experience under his belt, and if the Sky Blues attack the Premier League in a similar fashion, the Nigerian hitman could well find himself in and amongst the goals as he attempts to steer his new side away from the trap door.
Tolu Arokodare Heads to Struggling Ajax
Ajax are one of Europe's most storied clubs. The Dutch giants have won the UEFA Champions League four times and reached the semifinals of club football's elite competitions as recently as 2019. Since then, however, things have quickly gone downhill, and the Amsterdam outfit finds itself at the lowest point in its recent history, having finished fifth in the Eredivisie last season, their joint-lowest finish since 1999.
As such, a rebuild of sorts has taken place, and Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare is at the front of it. He headed to the Johan Cruijff ArenA on loan from recently relegated English side Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he is the man upon whose shoulders many of Ajax's hopes are pinned this season.
The club managed just 62 goals in the league last season, well behind the 101 netted by champions PSV Eindhoven and the 77 managed by surprise package NEC Nijmegen. Arokodare must find a way to pump those numbers up, and he will find ample support in the form of fellow new signing Julian Brandt. The highly rated attacking midfielder swapped Borussia Dortmund for Amsterdam on a free transfer in the summer, and he will be providing plenty of goalscoring opportunities for his strike partner.
Arokodare scored and provided an assist in Ajax's impressive come-from-behind 4-2 win against Swiss side FC Sion in their recent Europa League qualifier. If he can continue in a similar vein, there is a very real chance that Ajax can return to title-winning contention this season, as well as potentially competing for victory in Europe's secondary competition.
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