The Nigerian football news scene is abuzz with the news of a number of Nigerian nationals making inroads into European football in 2023.
One of those names is Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, who is currently on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs after an impressive season in Spain's top flight, LaLiga.
The 23-year-old is currently in the news for being wanted by Arsenal, who have joined the race alongside Aston Villa to bid for the winger's signature ahead of the coming season.
GoalballLive understands that it is about to be an interesting summer for the winger.
Several clubs interested in Chukwueze after spellbinding season
Having played for the Yellow Submarine's first team since 2018 after a year spent in their junior side, Samuel Chukwueze has held down a comfortable squad role in Villarreal.
Since upping his numbers, there has been increased interest in his services from clubs in Europe's biggest leagues.
Samuel Chukwueze's contract is expiring, and Villarreal want to avoid losing him for free. 🟡
Newcastle and AC Milan are interested in signing Chukwueze, with Newcastle needing a replacement for ASM and AC Milan targeting #UCL success. 🇳🇬#SempreMilan ⚫🔴 pic.twitter.com/9IYjANnEKe
— Milan Xtra ⚫🔴 (@MilanXtra) May 27, 2023
Prior to the reportage of Arsenal's renewed interest in the Nigeria Super Eagles forward, he was already wanted by some clubs in the Italian Serie A. A stellar performance for Villarreal in the 2022/23 season across all competitions, especially that one against Real Madrid in early April that led to Los Blancos penning his name down for a future transfer, has seen his stock go up in the transfer market.
The LaLiga club is now dealing with calls from several clubs including Aston Villa, who are managed by former Villarreal manager Unai Emery, Everton, West Ham United, AC Milan and now, Arsenal, who TeamTalk (per Calciomercato), claims will go all out to secure his services.
The report from TeamTalk also mentions Liverpool and Newcastle United as interested clubs, which indicate that the Premier League could be the AFCON 2023 squad hopeful's next destination.
🚨 Newcastle have drawn up a list of potential 'Galactico' signings for the summer:
🏴 Harry Kane
🇧🇷 Neymar
🇷🇸 Sergej Milinković-Savić
🇵🇹 João Felix
🇳🇬 Samuel Chukwueze
🏴 Eberechi Eze
🇬🇭 Mohammed Kudus
🇭🇺 Dominik Szoboszlai
🇫🇷 Moussa Diaby
🇳🇱 Ryan Gravenberch(Source: AS) pic.twitter.com/IzL2G91L5X
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 25, 2023
He currently has one year left on his contract and is valued at between £20-£25 million. He has a release clause of £88 million but it is unlikely that clubs will be willing to pay that amount for him this summer.
Chukwueze and Saka a deadly combination for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta just oversaw a collapse in Arsenal's title chances after a season of incredible performances. The collapse started from Bukayo Saka, who looked uncoordinated due to mental and physical fatigue from playing a lot of games for the Gunners.
When the 21-year-old winger failed to keep up with the demands of the season, there was no trusted backup to help carry the load. The addition of Samuel Chukwueze to their current squad helps take some of the load off Saka and make the team competitive again.
Chukwueze is also good enough to seal the starting spot for himself. Saka will remain Arsenal's main man but should he lose to Chukwueze, it will be a big boost for the image of Nigeria national football team players abroad.
🚨 Arsenal to Battle West Ham for 23-Year-Old Villarreal Winger Samuel Chukwueze
🗣️ "Arsenal and West Ham are keeping tabs on the talented winger," says Mundo Deportivo (h/t SportWitness)
🗣️ Chukwueze has a contract with Villarreal until 2024, could be signed for a reasonable… pic.twitter.com/A7haktmqtW
— Arsenal Informer (@ars_informer) April 21, 2023
It is unknown which clubs are in the lead as the reports only state that the aforementioned clubs are all in a battle for his signature. However, Chukwueze and Saka as options down the right wing is a prospect that will excite Arteta and Arsenal fans.
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 months ago
