Lookman, Osimhen: Ranking the Best Nigerian Players in Europe
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
5. Samuel Chukwueze: AC Milan
Samuel Chukwueze began his playing career for Future Hope as a junior in Nigeria and joined Diamond FA in 2012 - a move that marked where it all began. Chukwueze set the stage alight at the Under-17s level for the Super Eagles and his performances grabbed the attention of Arsenal as a teenager. While a move to the Gunners never materialised, the up-and-coming youngster was still on the radar of several European powerhouses, but it was Villareal who snapped him up in a deal worth just £430,000.
After waiting 12 months for his first-team debut in Spain, Chukwueze burst onto the scene and clinched the prestigious title of the best African player in La Liga for the 2022-2023 season, outshining the likes of Inaki Williams and Youssef En-Nesyri. At the end of that season, AC Milan came calling and splashed out £17m to secure the Nigerian attacker’s signature. Admittedly, since arriving in Italy, Chukwueze has struggled to hit the same lofty heights as he did in Spain, but he did help the Rossoneri finish second in Serie A last season and has netted two goals in 19 league games this season.
4. Ola Aina: Nottingham Forest
In fourth place, we have gone for Ola Aina - a player who has experienced a meteoric rise to fame this season. His journey to the Premier League began in Chelsea’s youth system, but he was unable to impress the Blues’ scouts and has stopped through Hull City, Torino, and Fulham before finally finding a home with Nottingham Forest, who are enjoying one of their greatest seasons in recent history under Nuno Espirito Santo. The Tricky Trees are currently third in the league standings and the 28-year-old Nigerian defender has been a crucial part of their success.
Aina’s stats this season illustrate just how important he has been to the Reds. He has featured in all 24 league games, managed to help the side maintain the league’s best tally of 10 clean sheets, and has produced three magnificent goal-line clearances, two of which have come against Liverpool, including in their 1-0 victory over Arne Slot’s side early in the season. Aina’s consistently impressive performances put him on the wishlist of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City during the winter transfer window, and his price tag is sure to spiral in Forest can secure European football at the end of this season.
3. Victor Boniface: Bayer Leverkusen
Into the top three we go, and holding our third spot in Victor Boniface. The 24-year-old began his career at Real Sapphire in Nigeria before securing a move to the Norwegian top tier with Bodo/Glimt. During his time there from 2019 to 2022, he scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 66 appearances. His achievements in Norway earned him another transfer, this time to Belgian first-division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer of 2022, where he scored a remarkable hat-trick on debut and went on to net 22 times in 55 matches.
Bayer Leverkusen came calling at the start of 2022-23 and Boniface quickly became a key figure at BayArena, netting three braces in his first six games. He would likely have featured higher up this list had injuries not disrupted his time in the Bundesliga, but 14 goals en route to a Bundesliga winner’s medal and the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season are still incredible achievements. This term, Boniface has had to spend time on the sidelines again, but he is back at it of late, now on seven goals in 12 league games, while having also opened his account in the Champions League.
2. Victor Osimhen: Galatasaray
From the streets of Lagos to the summit of European football, Victor Osimhen is the perfect example of unwavering determination. The Super Eagles’ striker first caught the attention in 2015 at the FIFA Under17s World Cup where he finished as the top-scorer with 10 goals in seven matches. Two years later, he was grabbed by VfL Wolfsburg, though he was unable to find his best form in Germany. A move to Charleroi followed but the real turning point came when he joined Lille in Ligue 1, where he scored 18 goals in 2019-20 which skyrocketed his transfer value. Indeed Napoli forked over nearly £70m for his services, making him the most expensive African transfer at the time.
However, Napoli’s investment was not in vain, as Osimhen repaid the club’s faith in him by leading them to their first Serie A league title in 33 years by finishing the 2022-23 season with the Capocannoniere award with 26 goals - another first for an African player. He also received the Serie A's Best Striker and later the Serie A Footballer of the Year awards in the same season. Osimhen would likely hold the number one spot on this list had it not been for the challenges he faced with Napoli after falling out of favour with management which led to him departing to Galatasaray on a season-long loan. Still, the 26-year-old has been on a tear in Turkey, scoring 12 goals in 17 Super Lig games and five in six in the Europa League.
1. Ademola Lookman: Atalanta BC
Adelmola Lookman’s storied rise is nothing short of extraordinary - a tale of redemption that has transformed him from untapped potential into one of Europe’s most promising talents. His path to success has been far from linear, though. In 2020, while on loan at Fulham from RB Leipzig, he endured a moment that threatened to derail his career. After electing to take a penalty in the dying moments of a match against West Ham United, he attempted a poorly executed Panenka that was easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski, leaving him embarrassed and with nowhere to hide. However, that disappointment also turned out to be the spark for what was to come.
Lookman secured a loan move to Leicester City where he experienced much more success, with six assists and six goals, including a match-winner against Liverpool. Due to the Foxes’ financial limitations, they were unable to make his deal a permanent one, but as it turned out, that worked in his favour as Atalanta BC came calling in 2022. Under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini, Lookman exploded with 15 goals and six assists in his debut season in Serie A and helped his team qualify for Europe. In his second term, the Super Eagles attacker led the team to the Coppa Italia and Europan titles, scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final. Lookman’s performances garnered him international acclaim, becoming the first Atalanta player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or and being crowned CAF Best Player, solidifying his place among Africa's top talents.
