Reports from Portugal have it that another Nigerian could join Zaidu Sanusi at Portuguese giants FC Porto before the end of the summer transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.
Porto like every other team in Europe are strengthening key areas in their team and one is their priority is in defence, where head coach of the team Sergio Conceicao appears to have fallen in love with a Nigerian.
The club will listen to offers for Brazilian left back Wendell and plans are already underway to bring in his replacement with Nigeria international defender Bruno Onyemaechi of Boavista among the options.
Onyemaechi emerged as one of the stars of Boavista in the just concluded season, where he was on loan from second division side CD Feirense. The loan has an option of signing him permanently and Boavista will trigger the option which has a set fee of €500,000.
His permanent signing will almost immediately lead to an exit with Porto one of the teams keen on having the 24 year old. Who can play as the left centre back in a back three or as a left full back. He even excelled with distinction playing as a left wing back.
Porto have seen enough of him in the 29 games that he played last season and they are now willing to commit €5m to sign him. He is seen as the one whose salary demands won’t be as high other targets, which includes Alex Telles of Manchester United, who was on loan to Europa League winners Sevilla last season.
The idea is to have him as a rival to his fellow Nigerian Zaidu, who has been the undisputed left back of the team for three seasons. However that might be a tall ask considering that he has kept Onyemaechi out of the senior national team of Nigeria with ease.
Onyemaechi has been called up twice by Nigeria but he is yet to make his debut with head coach Jose Peseiro preferring Zaidu to him on both occasions.
Daniel Martins