Victor Boniface’s move to one of the top five European leagues has shot his market value, surpassing that of fellow Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen.
Boniface’s outstanding performance for Bayer Leverkusen has made him the most valuable Nigerian player, according to a CIES Football Observatory report.
The 23-year-old striker played a crucial role in Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, netting 21 goals and giving nine assists across all competitions. This outstandinh record has shot Boniface’s transfer value to a whopping €86.5m, making him the 49th most valuable player globally based on the CIES statistical model.
Despite another stellar season for Napoli, Osimhen has been overtaken by Boniface, with a valuation of €85.6m making Osimhen the 51st worldwide and 4th in Africa. Topping the African rankings is Chelsea‘s Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson at €99.3m, followed by Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus at €89.6m, positioned between the two Nigerians.
However, despite his rising market value, Boniface has struggled to make a significant impact under new Super Eagles coach Finidi George. He played just 45 minutes as a second-half substitute as Nigeria continued its inconsistent World Cup campaign with a draw to South Africa and a loss to Benin Republic.
According to the CIES model, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is the world’s most valuable player at €280m after his impressive first season in Spain. These valuations are calculated from analyzing over 5,500 transfer fees, considering factors like age, game time, contract length, performances and the economic strength of the involved clubs.
With the transfer window closing in, Boniface’s rising value could ignite a competitive pursuit for the Nigerian striker’s signature this summer.
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