Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze is finally set to seal his long-awaited move to a big European club.
The 24-year-old, who is one of Nigeria’s biggest talents in recent years as well as of Europe’s potential world beaters, will soon make a move to Serie A giants AC Milan.
Samuel Chukwueze to AC Milan, here we go! Documents are being exchanged and checked between AC Milan and Villarreal 🚨🔴⚫️ #ACMilan
Chukwueze will sign the contract this week — valid until June 2028.
Fee around €20m plus €8m add ons.
Medical booked later this week. pic.twitter.com/oyAouFpB95
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 24, 2023
According to the tweet above, which was published by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Villarreal man is set to undergo medical tests with the Italian club to finalize a transfer after both clubs have agreed a total fee of €28 million (€20 million fee with €8 million in add-ons).
Chukwueze move brilliant business for player and club
Chukwueze’s high-profile arrival at Milan will make him the fifth summer signing in what has, so far, been a prolific transfer window for the club’s revamped hierarchy.
For a player of his considerable talents, the transfer fee paid will likely be considered a bargain as he was once valued at a fee as high as €80 million a few short months ago.
By winning the race to sign the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner, they were able to beat the likes of Aston Villa, whose manager, Unai Emery was keen on signing the player.
They also beat teams like Real Madrid and Newcastle to the player’s signature.
For Chukwueze, such a move could also boost his profile significantly, especially as he would now feature in the Champions League next season with the Italian heavyweights.
In terms of his career trajectory, joining Milan also represents an upgrade for the forward, who will now look to make history of his own in Italy, similar to that of his Super Eagles teammate Victor Osimhen.
Chukwueze's career trajectory
With the Yellow Submarine, Chukwueze began his journey as a player in Europe and his talents only continued to grow from there. After playing 20 times for Villarreal FC B, the Nigerian was promoted to the senior side in 2018/2019 season.
He spent five seasons with the first-team squad and quickly became one of the Spanish side’s most important players.
He played a total of 204 games, making 124 starts. He scored 36 goals and assisted his teammates 27 times in his Villarreal career.
He was part of the Villarreal team that pulled off the incredible victory over Manchester United to win the 2020/2021 UEFA Europa League. He was also part of the Yellow Submarine side that made an incredible run to the UEFA Champions League semifinal in the 2021/2022 season.
In terms of individual accolades, last season was his best. He achieved his best individual numbers. He scored 12 goals and assisted on a further 10 in 37 starts (48 total games) last season.
For his decent form in front of goal, he was named La Liga’s Africa player of the season for his efforts in the last campaign and helped his team finish fifth in the league.
Chukwueze vs Osimhen – Friends will battle on the pitch
Moving to AC Milan means that he will now rival Napoli’s Osimhen, who will be the defending champions of Italy going into the new season.
AC Milan will be looking to dethrone Napoli and win their second title in three years.
Fans of the Nigeria National football team will definitely have their eyes on this fixture as two of their biggest stars will clash in games that could potentially be title deciders.
An exciting 2023/24 Serie A campaign is on the cards and from a Nigerian perspective, it would be interesting to see how it turns out for sure.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 months ago
