Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has said he is not surprised that midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi has made the big leap to the French Ligue 1 with Olympique Marseille.
Former Flying Eagles midfielder Nnadi was handed his Super Eagles debut by Eric Chelle last month against Egypt and went on to feature in a 2025 AFCON group game versus Uganda.
Marseille splashed six million euros, triple his Transfermarkt valuation, to sign him from Belgian club Zulte Waregem.
“I thought he should have been playing in a bigger league a long time ago. He’s fast, strong, aggressive in winning the ball back, and can make a lot of interceptions,” Eric Chelle told L’Equipe.
Nnadi joined the club two years ago for around €1.35 million from Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv.
He played 58 matches for Zulte Waregem, scoring once and providing two assists.
At Marseille, he’ll have to compete with Himad Abdelli and other midfielders. His physical presence and stopping ability make him ideal for a defensive midfield role, something Marseille clearly wanted to strengthen this winter.
