In the first part of this series, ABIODUN ADEWALE highlights the standout performers among Nigerian players in the just-concluded 2024/25 season in Europe
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)
Osimhen broke new grounds individually and for his club last season, powering Galatasaray to a league and cup double with 37 goals and eight assists in 41 games across all competitions.
The 26-year-old’s season was bleak at the start after he was left off Napoli’s new project under Antonio Conte and he also had two failed summer moves to Chelsea and Al-Hilal.
When it looked like he would be without a club, at least until January 2025, Galatasaray welcomed him on loan and that proved to be a masterstroke, leading them to their 25th Super Lig title as well as their 19th Turkish Cup triumph.
In the process, he became the highest-scoring foreigner in a season in the club and Turkish football history, when he broke Mario Jardel’s 34-goal mark.
Although Galatasaray didn’t go far in Europe, Osimhen scored six goals in seven appearances as one of the joint second-highest goal scorers in the competition last season.
Tolu Arokodare (Genk)
In his second full season with Genk in Belgium, Arokodare rose from a €500,000 player to a €13m player thanks to his contributions to the club in the Jupiler Pro League.
The 24-year-old is coming off a very big season in Belgium where he scored 23 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances, winning the Jupiler Pro League’s top scorer award as well as the Ebony Shoe as the best African player in Belgium.
His impact saw him emerge as one of Europe’s breakout strikers, dominating Belgium’s top flight and earning major individual honours which has now put him on the summer transfer list of clubs like Bayern Munich, Benfica, Besiktas and even English Premier League sides.
Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos)
Switching clubs mid-season could make or break a player’s run, and in Onyemachi’s case, he rose from being important to being prominent when he moved from Boavista in Portugal to Greek champions Olympiakos.
He fitted into the set-up of the Greek club, helping them to win the league and cup double making 12 appearances in total. Before his move in January, he also made 18 appearances for Boavista, scoring three goals plus one assist in 18 league games.
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
It is safe to say Lookman had done a bit of cementing his 2024 African Footballer of the Year award when he scored a historic hat-trick in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League final for Atalanta in May.
Having done that, he needed to prove himself again and he didn’t disappoint when the new season started in August 2024.
He registered 15 goals and five assists in 31 league appearances and also scored five more goals and two assists in the UEFA Champions League.
Lookman’s contribution was his highest in a single campaign.
Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
The 2024/25 season is easily Iwobi’s best-ever season in the EPL and it even raises the question of how soon he would be able to replicate such form at club level.
With nine goals and six assists, Iwobi finished as Fulham’s second-highest goal scorer behind Raul Jiminez (12).
Before this season, his best return in terms of goals was last term, after arriving at Fulham in the summer of 2023, scoring five goals.
In terms of assists, his best was at Everton in the 2022/23 season when he had seven.
Iwobi also made history as the first Nigerian to appear in all 38 matchdays in the Premier League for two seasons, after replacing Harry Wilson in Fulham’s home loss to Manchester City on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign.
The midfielder first achieved the feat in the 2022/23 season.
Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)
Aina had a season to remember with Forest in the EPL, playing a crucial role in their fairytale Europe-chasing campaign. He only missed three EPL games due to injury, and made 35 appearances, scoring twice plus one assist to help the Tricky Trees eventually finish seventh.
In March, Aina emerged as the best ball-winner in defensive areas across Europe’s top five leagues, according to statistics from WhoScored.
Cyriel Dessers (Rangers)
The 30-year-old enjoyed a prolific season at Scottish Premiership giants Glasgow Rangers, despite constant criticism from the club’s supporters.
Dessers finished as the league’s top scorer, netting 18 goals and providing two assists in 35 league appearances.
He registered 29 goals and seven assists in 55 appearances across all competitions for the Light Blues.
Igbho Ogbu (Slavia Prague)
A former Flying Eagles defender, Igoh played a key role in Slavia Prague’s title-winning campaign. The 25-year-old made 25 league appearances for the Red and Whites, scoring two goals plus one assist.
The centre-back also earned an invitation to the Super Eagles after a stellar season with Slavia Prague, featuring prominently for Nigeria in the Unity Cup triumph in London.
Chrisantus Uche (Getafe)
In his first season in the Spanish topflight, Uche impressed with Getafe and established himself as one of the best-performing Nigerian midfielders abroad. Uche moved from Spanish second-tier outfit AD Ceuta FC to LaLiga club Getafe last summer. The 22-year-old registered four goals and six assists in 33 league appearances for José Bordalás’ side, earning a place in the Super Eagles as well.
He also scored the winning penalty in the 5-4 shootout win over Ghana in the Unity Cup.
Moses Simon (Nantes)
No matter how underwhelming the season might be for Nantes, Simon just shines naturally.
Undoubtedly the team’s best player, Simon scored eight goals and provided 10 assists to help Nantes escape relegation by three points.
His 18-goal contribution is almost half of the club’s 39 goals in the entire season.
