Victor Boniface highly anticipated transfer to Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al Nassr has been dramatically derailed after the club chose to secure Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran in a stunning €77m deal.
Al Nassr’s swift pivot to the Colombian striker effectively ended their pursuit of Boniface, who had been in advanced talks with the club.
Despite a Al Nassr delegation being stationed in Germany to finalize the deal, the transfer has now fallen apart.
In a fast turn of events, the Riyadh-based side quickly wrapped up terms with Duran, leaving Boniface’s future uncertain.
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The 21-year-old forward is now set to join Cristiano Ronaldo and other big names at Al Nassr, with a medical scheduled for Thursday.
Boniface, whose move was once thought to be a done deal, must now return to Bayer Leverkusen and refocus on his Bundesliga career.
Bayer Leverkusen Director Rolfes spoke on the deal early today.
“There have been talks, but we are happy that he will be training with us today. I assume that he will stay. He feels comfortable here, his attitude towards the club is unchanged.”
The Nigerian star had been excused from training as talks heated up, but now, he faces a major setback in his career ambitions.
Boniface, who previously played for Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt, made the switch to Leverkusen from Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023.
Photo by imago
The 24-year-old, whose contract with Leverkusen runs through 2028.
During his debut season, he was instrumental in Leverkusen’s success, helping the club win the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup in 2024.
He netted 21 goals and provided 10 assists in 34 appearances for Xabi Alonso’s side.
However, a hamstring injury in November, along with ongoing fitness issues, has limited Boniface to 15 appearances this season, in which he has scored eight goals.
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Boniface was set for a life changing transfer move to Al Nassr after he reportedly agreed to a 3 year contract worth €15 million annually ( about 25 billion naira)
Will the 24-year-old rebound from this transfer disaster? Only time will tell as he looks to reclaim his starting role with Leverkusen.
