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The 2024/25 football season has reached its business end, and now is the time when silverware is claimed. However, once the campaign finally concludes, attention will turn to the summer transfer window as the planet’s best clubs attempt to strengthen ahead of next season. This summer, most of the hype surrounds one man: Nigerian sensation Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen’s Turkish Detour
The Super Eagles’ hitman has been the most sought-after striker on the planet for the past 12 months. A year ago, he made his intentions clear: he was going to leave Napoli, the team he led to a first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona in 2023. Incoming manager Antonio Conte granted the former Lille man his wish, and the decision doesn’t seem to have hurt the Partenopei that much, if at all.
Napoli have taken the title fight to reigning champions Inter Milan, and they currently hold a one-point lead over the Nerazzurri with just a handful of games remaining. Their exploits have certainly prompted online betting websites like Bovada to take note, installing Conte’s men as the favorite to win Serie A this term. The latest odds from the Bovada website currently price them at 1.33, with the reigning champions a distant 3.25 outsider.
But while the Naples outfit has been battling it out for the title, Osimhen has been exiled to Turkey. He has been as prolific as ever in Istanbul, bagging 33 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions, helping Galatasaray to Turkish Super Lig glory, and well and truly putting himself in the shop window. The goal machine isn’t expected to remain with the club beyond the summer, and plenty are sniffing around in the hopes of securing his signature.
But Osimhen isn’t the only Nigerian who could be on the move this summer. Here is the full rundown of who could be on the move in the coming weeks and months.
Victor Osimhen
There is no shortage of clubs interested in signing Osimhen, just as there wasn’t last summer. The problem 12 months ago, however, was Napoli’s asking price for their prized asset. The three-time Italian champions were holding out for a whopping €100m windfall. Premier League giants Chelsea were rumored to be interested, as were French champions Paris Saint-Germain, but neither was willing to pay the kind of money that Napoli was looking for.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025, and Osimhen’s value has dropped dramatically. The highly reputable Transfermarkt reports that the current Galatasaray loanee is worth €70m, and his 30% loss in value is the third most of anybody in world football behind Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz and Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane. Even so, the rumours regarding Osimhen’s future continue to swirl.
While talk of a move to Chelsea has cooled throughout the season, two Premier League giants are reportedly interested. The first of them is Europa League finalists Manchester United, with the Red Devils looking to drift away from their Rasmus Hojlund gamble and bank on a proven goalscorer. The second is Arsenal, a club in dire need of an out-and-out striker following their attacking woes this term.
Where Osimhen ends up is currently anyone’s guess. A bid of around €75m should be enough to secure his signature, especially considering just how Napoli have continued to thrive without him in their lineup. Plenty will be willing to pay it as they know signing the Super Eagle guarantees goals.
Wilfred Ndidi
When Leicester City signed Wilfried Ndidi to replace the outgoing N’Golo Kanté following their stunning 5000/1 upset Premier League title win, it looked to be an astute addition. The Nigerian international immediately began to repay the faith that the Foxes hierarchy showed in him, helping them reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League in his maiden campaign with the club. Since then, two further appearances in Europe followed, as did a maiden FA Cup triumph in 2021.
But since then, the Foxes have faltered. Leicester have bounced between the Championship and the Premier League throughout the last two years, and they will be heading into the second tier next term following this season’s relegation. With Ndidi keen to remain playing at the highest level and with his contract expiring this summer, it appears that the defensive midfielder’s eight-year stint at the King Power Stadium is set to come to an end.
Much like his international teammate Osimhen, there are plenty of potential suitors to seal a deal for Ndidi, particularly in the Premier League. Established top-flight clubs such as Everton, Crystal Palace, and Fulham are all rumoured to be interested in securing his signature, and as he is available on a free transfer, plenty more teams could enter the race.
Ola Aina
Ola Aina is another Premier League star out of contract this summer. The Nigerian fullback has shone at Nottingham Forest this season, starting all but three games as the Tricky Trees look set to qualify for European football. His exploits prompted Jamie Carragher to include the 28-year-old in his Premier League Team of the Season, and now the popular pundit’s former club, Liverpool, could be set to pounce.
Forest strike late and take down City 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TJ3XGgVFwl https://t.co/4Wh41sXWdG
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) March 8, 2025
With Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer, the Reds are desperate to bolster the ranks at right back. Aina could be the perfect addition, especially considering he wouldn’t command any kind of transfer fee. Further clubs are expected to show an interest, but Liverpool may well be the player’s first choice destination.
