Victor Boniface: How Much Super Eagles Star Will Lose After Al-Nassr Deal Collapsed
- Saudi club Al-Nassr had an agreement in principle with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Victor Boniface
- Cristiano Ronaldo’s club also had an agreement over a lucrative personal term with the Super Eagles striker
- The deal will not go through after the Saudi Pro League side decided to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa
Victor Boniface will not join Saudi Professional League side Al-Nassr after the club decided to sign Jhon Duran from Premier League club Aston Villa instead.
Al-Nassr had an agreement in principle with German champions Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Boniface, with whom they also had a personal terms agreement.
Source: Getty Images
The Saudis have decided to go for their second option Duran from Aston Villa and according to journalist Ben Jacobs, the dealmakers preferred the Colombian because of his age, 21, and his current form.
According to The Athletic, the Aston Villa star will have his medical today in London after which he will fly to Saudi Arabia to finalise the move for €77 million.
The deal hands a massive blow to Nigerian forward Boniface, who was only waiting for a green light from Al-Nassr to fly to formalise his move but will now stay in Germany or look elsewhere.
How much will Boniface lose?
According to Sky Germany, Al-Nassr verbally agreed on a contract worth €15 million per season, and only needed authorisation to sign it before the deal collapsed.
According to Capology, he currently earns €2mil per season at Leverkusen and the financial offer represents a significant walkaway for the Akure-born star.
The proposed salary in naira was estimated to be over 20 billion per year, which would make him the highest-paid Nigerian footballer, but unfortunately, it would not happen.
There were no details of the length of the contract in the multiple reports, but he was expected to sign at least a four-year contract, meaning he walked away from about ₦80bn.
Nigerians were divided on whether the 24-year-old should accept the offer or not. Some wanted him to earn the payday while others believed he still has more to offer in Europe.
Babangida speaks about Boniface
Super Eagles and AFC Ajax legend, Tijani Babangida was one of the voices against Boniface moving to Saudi Arabia, claiming he should chase legacy in Europe before money.
“Listen, this is not a criticism of Victor (Boniface) because he is such a talented boy who is able to make personal decisions. But I think it happened a little too early,” Babangida told Africa Foot.
“Given his immense talent, for me, he still had more than seven years at the highest level in the best European clubs. Al Nassr is a big club, but I still think he is too young to play in Saudi Arabia. I think this will have an impact on his legacy.”
Patrick Schick aims dig at Boniface
Legit.ng reported that Patrick Schick aimed dig at Boniface after reports emerged that the Super Eagles forward was open to joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
The 29-year-old Czech Republic claimed that Saudi Arabia is not an option for him at his age because he has ambition, an indirect insult to his 24-year-old teammate.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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Source: Legit.ng
