Former Nigeria international strikers, Jonathan Akpoborie and Julius Aghahowa have commended the duo of Paul Onuachu and Terem Moffi for swapping clubs at the close of the transfer deadline window.
While Onuachu switched from Belgian side Genk to English Premiership side, Southampton, the 23-year-old Moffi moved from FC Lorient to rival French Ligue 1 side, OGC Nice in a ground-breaking record deal.
Both transfers were completed on the last day of the January transfer window on Tuesday, with Nice paying a record fee of 25 million Euros ($27.1m) plus a possible five million Euros more in bonuses for Moffi. Onuachu in the meantime, sealed a €20m deal to move to the Saints.
Incidentally, the striking duo are two of Nigeria’s best strikers in the ongoing European season with Onuachu being the top scorer in the Belgian top-flight after netting 17 goals in 22 appearances for Genk. Moffi on his part is the Ligue 1’s second-best goalscorer with 12 goals just behind PSG’s Kylian Mbappe who had scored 13.
Former Wolfsburg striker, Akpoborie said both transfers were positives, adding it would put the players in the spotlight at their respective clubs.
“They are all positive moves, that will give them more pressure to perform,” the 54-year-old Akpoborie who made his name in the Bundesliga in his heyday, told NationSport. “It will bring them more into the scrutiny of the public and that is fantastic.”
Speaking in the same vein, erstwhile Super Eagles talisman, Aghahowa said the direct approach in the EPL would suit Onuachu since he is a box striker.
“Onuachu is always good around the box and he doesn’t need to be running around the channels rather he just has to be in the box because he can use both the head and feet very well and I think that was the reason Southampton signed him, “ 40-year-old Aghahowa former Wigan Athletic striker told a Lagos-based sports radio station, Brila Fm.