In less than seven months, the transfer record for a Nigerian player is set to be broken, with Manchester City starlet Kelechi Iheanacho on the brink of a move to Leicester City.
The Super Eagles striker has appended his signature to a five-year contract with the Foxes, with City expected to pocket a minimum 28 million euros in transfer fees, which will make him the most expensive Nigerian player of all time, surpassing the record currently held by former Watford star Odion Ighalo.
Before Ighalo had the honour of being the most expensive Nigerian player, it was previously held by ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel for eleven years after the Blues splashed out €20m to secure his services from Lyn Oslo, with Manchester United also compensated.
The third and fourth most expensive transfers involving Nigerian players were completed in the last thirteen months.
Former Premier League champs Leicester City signed Ahmed Musa and Wilfred Ndidi for €19.5 million and €17.6 million respectively.
The costliest Nigerian defender in history is Taribo West, thanks to his €12 million switch from Auxerre to Inter Milan in June 1997.
Thirteenth position currently belongs to Chelsea right wing-back Victor Moses, who moved to the Stamford Bridge outfit in 2012 from Wigan Athletic for €11.5 million.
Current Nigerian Transfer Record (Top 20)
1) Odion Ighalo – Watford to Changchun Yatai- €23.3m
2) Obi Mikel – Lyn Oslo to Chelsea – €20m
3) Ahmed Musa – CSKA to Leicester – €19.5m
4) Wilfred Ndidi – Genk to Leicester – €17.6m
5) Yakubu Aiyegbeni – Boro to Everton – €16.5m
6) Obafemi Martins – Inter to Newcastle – €16m
7) Isaac Success – Granada to Watford – €15m
Emmanuel Emenike – Spartak to Fenerbahce – €13m
9) Brown Ideye – Dynamo Kiev to WBA – €12.63m
10) Austin Okocha – Fenerbahce to PSG – €12.4
11) Taribo West – Auxerre to Inter – €12m
11) Brown Ideye – Olympiakos to Tianjin Teda – €12m
13) Victor Moses – Wigan to Chelsea – €11.5m
14) Anthony Ujah – Werder to Liaoning FC – €11.5m
15) Obafemi Martins – Newcastle to Wolfsburg – €10.5m
16) Sunday Oliseh – Ajax to Juventus – €10m
17)John Utaka – Rennes to Portsmouth – €10m
18)Peter Odemwingie- Lille to Lok Moscow – €10m
19)Finidi George – Ajax to Real Betis – €10m
20)Emmanuel Emenike – Fenerbahce to Spartak – €10m
