Awoniyi set for permanent move to Coventry
Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi is finalising a permanent transfer from Nottingham Forest to newly-promoted Coventry City, where he will link up with fellow Nigerian Frank Onyeka.
Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi is finalising a permanent transfer from Nottingham Forest to newly-promoted Coventry City, where he will link up with fellow Nigerian Frank Onyeka. The move represents a fresh start for Awoniyi, who has struggled for regular playing time at Forest.
Coventry’s promotion to the Premier League has given the club the financial muscle to attract players of Awoniyi’s calibre. The reunion with Onyeka, who joined Coventry earlier in the window, will be a boost for the Nigerian contingent at the club. For Awoniyi, the move offers the opportunity to reignite his career at the highest level.
This echoes the 2022 moves of Nigerian players to Premier League clubs, which also saw them reunite with compatriots. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a growing Nigerian presence in the Premier League.
The winners: Taiwo Awoniyi, who has a fresh start; and Coventry City, which has signed a proven forward. The losers: Nottingham Forest, which loses a player; and the Nigerian public, who have a new club to follow.
Bottom Line: Awoniyi is heading to Coventry. The Premier League is getting another Nigerian. The question is whether he can rediscover his scoring touch.