Taiwo Awoniyi has completed a permanent transfer to Coventry City from Nottingham Forest, with the newly promoted Premier League side agreeing a £17 million deal. The move, sanctioned by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, ends Awoniyi's four-season stint at the City Ground.
Awoniyi's Move to Coventry City
Awoniyi, who was surplus to requirements at Nottingham Forest, will bring Premier League experience to Lampard's squad. Coventry dominated the EFL Championship last season and are seeking to solidify their top-flight status. The former Liverpool forward becomes the latest Super Eagles player to transfer this summer, as Nigerian players seek new challenges.
Lampard, who has shown trust in African players, following the influence of his mentor Jose Mourinho, is expected to give Awoniyi more regular playing time. Awoniyi had ups and downs at Nottingham Forest but maintained his professionalism and was a big personality in the dressing room.
Other Super Eagles Stars Who Changed Clubs
Kelechi Iheanacho spent last season at Celtic, helping the club win the Scottish Premiership and Cup, scoring important goals in both competitions. The initial agreement was for a one-year contract with an option to extend for another year, but despite the success, the club refused to honour the deal.
Frank Onyeka joined Coventry in January on loan from Brentford and was crucial in helping the club get their season back on track after a mid-season slip. The deal had a clause that Coventry would trigger a permanent move if they were promoted to the Premier League, and it was activated when their status was confirmed.
Chidozie Awaziem joined a recent exodus of Super Eagles stars moving to the Turkish Super League, joining Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray and Wilfred Ndidi at Besiktas. The experienced defender joined Konyaspor from French Ligue 1 side Nantes, returning to Turkish football having had a loan spell at Caykur Rizespor in 2019.
More Nigerian Players on the Move
At 38, former Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun left Greek club Aris Limassol to join Hungarian side ETO Gyor. Gift Orban left Hellas Verona to join Amedspor on loan, as noted by Yahoo Sport, joining the wave of Nigerian players moving into Turkey after the newly promoted Turkish Super League side secured his services.
Raphael Onyedika made his mark in Belgian football with Club Brugge and was linked to moves in Turkey, England, Saudi Arabia, among others. However, the skilful midfielder opted to move to Germany, joining Eintracht Frankfurt, hoping to make an impact as did Super Eagles legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, as he told the club's official website.
Nottingham Forest Stars Honour Awoniyi
Legit.ng previously reported that Nottingham Forest players honoured Taiwo Awoniyi as he prepared to join Coventry City. During their final pre-season match against Stade de Brestois, the players gave the Super Eagles forward a guard of honour ahead of his move.
