Victor Boniface’s loan spell at Werder Bremen is heading toward a joyless conclusion, with head coach Daniel Thioune signalling that the Super Eagles striker no longer fits into his plans for the final stretch of the season, Footynaija.com reports.
The 25-year-old arrived in Bremen in September 2025 after one of the most challenging summers of his career. A €70 million move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia had collapsed despite him passing a medical. A proposed switch to AC Milan then fell through after the Italian club flagged concerns about his right knee during checks.
Werder stepped in with a loan deal, Bayer Leverkusen covered part of his wages, and Boniface joined the team determined to prove himself. The knee that concerned Milan required surgery in January, and he spent four months working his way back.
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When he finally returned to squad consideration, it was only because of a yellow card suspension for Austrian winger Marco Grüll. Boniface was included for the trip to Stuttgart but did not get off the bench. Grüll returned for the Augsburg fixture, and Boniface was dropped from the squad as Bremen proceeded to lose the game 3-1.
The player was unhappy, and Thioune did not pretend otherwise.
‘Whether it will benefit the present, I don’t know’
“I think that if you’re not in the squad, then you’re allowed to be angry, then you’re allowed to be disappointed,” the 51-year-old coach said.
The harder blow came in Thioune’s broader assessment of why Boniface has been consistently overlooked.
Speaking to the media, in a report by Kicker, the Bremen coach did not hide the core issue.
“We talked openly about it from day one and then realised that there is simply a certain fitness deficit,” he said.
Thioune indicated the club would continue to support him in addressing his condition, but stopped short of promising any playing time.
“Whether it will be beneficial for the present, I don’t know, but it will be beneficial for the future,” he said, adding that Boniface at least remained “committed” to the process.
With three games remaining in the Bundesliga season and Boniface’s loan ending this summer, a return to Leverkusen now looks inevitable.
