Super Eagles recently-capped midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi will be one of the big surprises of the January transfer window after he moved from modest Belgian club Zulte Waregem to join top French club Olympique Marseille.
๐ต๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ป ๐ณ๐ธ๐ผ๐ผ๐ด๐ฝ๐๐ธ๐ – ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ
— Olympique de Marseille ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ (@OM_English) February 2, 2026
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He has already made his mark in Belgium and only recently with the Super Eagles, and it is now for him to meet the huge expectations at one of the top clubs in France.
Dressed in a loose-fitting black outfit from head to toe and a green cap with a hood, Tochukwu Nnadi arrived at Marignane airport shortly before 9 a.m. on Monday morning. He then went to the OM offices to sign his contract and kick off what was once again a very busy final day of the transfer window.
Unlike his future teammate and midfield rival Himad Abdelli, who arrived at the same time, the 22-year-old Nigerian international (1 cap) wasn’t really expected in Provence until the day before.
The transfer fee, reported at six million euros including bonuses, also raised eyebrows, given that the player’s value is estimated at two million euros on the specialist website Transfermarkt, and coming from Zulte Waregem, a club recently promoted to the Belgian First Division.
Last Wednesday, in the mixed zone at the Jan Breydel Stadium, after the 3-0 defeat against Club Brugge, Medhi Benatia remarked:ย “You lose. Well done. But you can’t come here and… Against a young team, who only just won threeย (four)ย days ago against Zulte Waregemย (4-3)ย … All due respect to everyone, though.”
Against Bruges, Nnadi came on for an impressive final half-hour, alongside former Marseille players Emran Soglo and Marley Akรฉ, as is often the case against top teams.ย
“I watched him and wondered what he was still doing in that team,“ย confessed his Nigeria national team coach, Eric Chelle. ”ย It’s a good move by OM. I expected him to go to the Premier League.”ย
West Ham had also expressed interest, but it was Marseille who convinced Zulte Waregem, who weren’t necessarily prepared to lose their midfielder.
Nnadi arrived two years ago, in January 2024, when the club was in the second division. He contributed to their promotion last season, succeeding Demba Diop (bought for โฌ7.5 million by Strasbourg, now at Toulouse), and has continued his progress in the top flight in recent months.
In Belgium, those who follow the league describe him as a hard-working and team-oriented player, stocky (1.76 m), with a strong impact (7 yellow cards and 1 red card this season) and a high work rate, useful for maintaining the team’s balance without taking many risks.
This winter, Chelle called him up to the Nigerian national team for the first time for the Africa Cup of Nations, where he played about ten minutes against Uganda.
The coach recounts:ย โHeโs determined, doesnโt overthink things. When he arrived at his first training session, he impressed everyone and came on against Egyptย (in a friendly)ย with a full session under his belt. Heโs a real gem, this kid; youโll be surprised because he can be very aggressive on the pitch.โย And just as smiley as he is shy off it.
Chelle had been following him forย “a whileย ,” impressed by his ball-winning ability, both in front of the defense and as a playmaker.ย
“He’s very quick, powerful, and capable of winning back possession from opponents, with that aggressive approach over about fifteen meters to chase down the ball carrier.”ย A profile rarely seen in the Marseille squad.ย
“With the ball,”ย he continued, ”ย he plays a simple game, using his body to protect it. If he’s in an environment where the players support him and give him confidence, he’ll quickly reach his full potential.”
Adapted from L’Equipe
