Former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje has offered his verdict on Akor Adams’ decision to leave Sevilla for Serie A newcomers Venezia, insisting there could be more to the move than meets the eye, Footynaija.com reports.
Adams completed a club-record transfer to Venezia in July after an impressive spell with Sevilla, where he finished the 25/26 campaign as the Spanish club’s leading league scorer.
The move to the newly promoted Italian side raised eyebrows among some Nigerian football fans, with many expecting the 26-year-old to join a bigger club after his breakthrough season in Spain.
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But Sodje believes the project presented to Adams could have played a major role in convincing the Nigerian striker to make the switch.
“Look at Como in Italy — whoever signed for them years ago wouldn’t have known the budget and direction the club has now,” Sodje told Footy-Africa.
“So maybe what was sold to Adams was big enough to convince him.
“From a fan’s perspective, we want to see him at bigger clubs, but we never really know what project gets pitched to a player.”
Adams arrived at Venezia for a reported fee of up to €23 million, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history, and has committed his future to the Italian side until 2030.
He has already shown glimpses of what he can offer, scoring twice and providing an assist in a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Modena on his debut.
However, life in Serie A hasn’t been a walk in the park, with Adams starting Venezia’s opening two league games against Lecce and AC Milan without finding the net as the newly promoted side suffered consecutive 2-0 defeats.
