Victor Boniface’s failed move to Saudi Arabia: Lessons, repercussions

At some point this week, it felt as if Victor Boniface was destined to leave Bayer Leverkusen to Al Nassr.

The two clubs opened talks over a possible transfer, as the Saudi Pro League side sought to replace Anderson Talisca, who has since signed for Fenerbahçe.

The news came out of nowhere, as Boniface only signed a contract extension with the Bundesliga champions until 2026 last week.

The deal made the Super Eagles forward one of the top earners at Leverkusen.

Despite renewing his contract, the 24-year-old was, however, not considered unsellable by the Bundesliga champions.

Boniface even missed Tuesday’s training session and some reports claim his bags were packed to travel to the Middle East.

All that was left was for Al Nassr to proceed with the final processes of the deal, after agreeing a transfer fee of more than €60m.

The 24-year-old was set to earn an eye watering €15m net per season.

But the deal eventually collapsed.

Al Nassr were also in negotiations with Aston Villa for Jhon Duran and opted to splash €77million on the 21-year-old.

The Colombian striker was officially unveiled on Friday, as the Saudi transfer window slam shut.

“Transfer rumours are normal in football,” Boniface, who has since returned to Leverkusen training, told SportsBoom.

“It’s always flattering when big clubs show interest, but my focus right now is 100% on Bayer Leverkusen.

“A lot of calculations have also happened here and there, but I love playing here, and I want to give my best to the team.

“What happens in the future will happen, but for now, my mind is only on helping Leverkusen achieve our goals.”

The saga has triggered a lot of conversations on and off social media, as to if Boniface should have even considered the move.

“It’s understandable. As much as I don’t like it, the reality is that football is a job for many,” Deji Faremi, co-owner of Busy Buddies and a sports analyst, told.

“Especially considering where a guy like Boniface is coming from, you can see how and why that sort of move would interest him.

“An opportunity to earn more than three times what you currently earn is very tempting.

“Unless you have great belief in yourself to maintain a certain level that would make you attractive (and in line to earn that much) for years, you have to think about it,” he added.

But why did Al Nassr pick Duran over Boniface.

“Hard to tell. Duran is a younger option,” Faremi explains.

“But maybe he was also more interested in joining them. Boniface is easily the better player though. They have missed out on an excellent player.”

There are insinuations that a move to the Middle East would have affected Boniface’s chances of playing for the Super Eagles.

In the absence of Victor Osimhen, Boniface has failed to impress for the national team. And leaving Europe might have seen his stocks drop further.

“I don’t think so,” Faremi responds sharply.

“The level in Saudi is quite good and we’ve seen many players like Ronaldo, Kante remain important members of their national teams despite playing in Saudi Arabia.

“That’s another reason why it would have made a lot of sense if he moved. There was nothing to lose, except maybe a chance to be the best player in the world.”

So what next for Boniface?

Faremi adds: “If he’s turned down the offer – and not the other way round – it could suggest he would rather play in Europe, hunt for bigger and more prestigious trophies, and make a name for himself at the highest level.

“He could still make all that money Saudi are offering if he can find the form he had at the start of last season, and make a big money move to England or even Italy.”