Chibuike Nwaiwu has barely settled into life at Trabzonspor and already the transfer talk has started, with recent reports indicating that the Nigerian defender has multiple European suitors after only six months in Turkey, Footynaija.com reports.
Trabzonspor signed Nwaiwu from Austrian club Wolfsberger AC in January for €5.5 million, and the 22-year-old wasted no time making the deal look like good business. He made 21 appearances in his debut Süper Lig campaign, chipping in with three goals and an assist from centre-back, numbers that turned heads well beyond Turkey.
Fulham have already tested the water. A source close to the player told Footy-Africa that the Cottagers tabled a bid worth around €20 million, though the figure circulating publicly is not quite accurate, and Trabzonspor turned it down flat.
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Fulham are not alone in their interest either. The source named West Ham as another Premier League club building their squad with Nwaiwu in mind, while in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen have been keeping tabs on him since his days in Austria, and Werder Bremen have also made enquiries.
What none of those clubs have done yet is meet Trabzonspor’s price.
“I do not think Trabzonspor want to sell him at this stage because they want to challenge for the league title next season and see him as an important part of their plans,” the source said.
“Unless one of these clubs comes in with an offer between €30 million and €35 million, I believe he will remain in Turkey.”
For now, Nwaiwu stays put, with Trabzonspor showing no urgency to cash in on a player they view as central to next season’s title push.
