The 2026-27 football season is here, and so is another chapter for footballers and their clubs. With La Liga already underway and the Premier League and Serie A set to kick off this weekend, while other leagues like the Bundesliga follow closely, some Nigerian footballers will begin the campaign at new clubs, some in new leagues and, in most cases, with plenty to prove.

The Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup inevitably cast a shadow over Nigerian footballers. While that did little to help the cause of some of the country’s biggest stars, who could have used a good summer showing to further their case for progressing to the top, several internationals have still made significant moves this summer.

Before we get into the thick of the season, here are seven of the biggest Super Eagles transfer storylines to follow.

Taiwo Awoniyi

Farewell messages from those who knew T best. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/RUpBEU4EoH

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 17, 2026

Nottingham Forest’s farewell to striker Taiwo Awoniyi trended for all the right reasons. He was an invaluable asset both on and off the pitch, having joined Forest in 2022 from Union Berlin for a fee of £17.5 million, making him the club’s record signing at the time.

Across 103 appearances for Forest, Awoniyi scored 23 goals and provided five assists, including the goal that helped keep the club afloat in the EPL.

His reported £9 million move to Coventry, where he’ll reunite with fellow Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka, brings an end to his four-year stay at Forest and gives the striker a fresh start. For a player whose career has been interrupted by injuries in recent seasons, the move could be an opportunity to rediscover the form that once made him one of the Premier League’s most exciting Nigerian forwards.

Akor Adams

It was somewhat of a surprise when Akor Adams’ €17 million move from Sevilla to Venezia, a newly promoted side in the Italian Serie A, was confirmed.

But like most transfers of this magnitude, it was as much about the club’s (Sevilla’s) financial situation as it was about Adams’s best interest. The Super Eagles’ striker distinguished himself as the club’s best investment last season and returned its highest fee yet in the window.

In his new home, Adams has hit the ground running since arriving in Italy, scoring a brace and assisting another in Venezia’s 3-2 comeback victory over Modena in the Coppa Italia Round of 32 last Saturday.

It’s the sort of form that has kept him relevant since breaking into the Super Eagles fold before AFCON 2025, establishing himself as the closest profile to a deputy striker to Victor Osimhen in recent years. 

Raphael Onyedika

 

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Onyedika enjoyed a steady run in the Belgian league with Club Brugge, whom he joined in 2022. His consistency with the side earned him regular invitations to the national team’s camp, though he hasn’t managed to find a permanent place in the Super Eagles’ starting XI.

With his move to German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in a €9 million deal, the 25-year-old midfielder eyes a return to relevance and a chance to follow in the footsteps of Nigerian legend Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, who etched his name in the history books at Deutsche Bank Park.

Stanley Nwabali

It has been an unusual year for Stanley Nwabali, who left Chippa United after AFCON 2025 this January to “take a step forward” in his career.

But after being clubless for the rest of the season, and consequently losing his place in the national team, the goalkeeper has somehow found his way back to the Chilli Boys for the 2026-27 PSL season.

It’s a move that could determine whether his career can regain the momentum it built over the past two years, when his performances for club and country made him one of the best goalkeepers in African football.

Tolu Arokodare

 

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For a moment, Tolu Arokodare and Wolverhampton Wanderers seemed set for one of those public transfer stand-offs that wears on until the end and, in most cases, leaves the player on the losing side.

However, whatever the complications were, the Nigerian international eventually managed to seal an enticing season-long move to Ajax Amsterdam.

While his stint in England yielded little compared to his standout spell with Genk in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, it remains to be seen if his time at Ajax will spark the kind of run that earns the 25-year-old a much-needed return to the national team.

Kelechi Iheanacho

After helping Celtic win the Scottish Premiership and Cup, Kelechi Iheanacho’s journey has now taken him to Bursaspor in the Turkish second tier.

The 29-year-old hasn’t been a regular in the national ranks in recent months, and while the outlook doesn’t seem likely to change, especially given the handful of younger striking options in the team, the move to Bursaspor may well turn out to be a defining closing chapter in a club career that began with so much promise at Manchester City.

Chidozie Awaziem

 

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Chidozie Awaziem joined Konyaspor from Ligue 1 side Nantes, giving the experienced defender another opportunity to continue his career in Turkey. Having spent much of his career moving between clubs and leagues, the move could provide some much-needed stability as he looks to remain in the Super Eagles picture.