Soccer
Akpe Victory for ZTE/Zalaegerszegi :(Photo by Imago)
Former Swiss champions Basel have announced the signing of Nigerian defender Akpe Victory from Hungarian club Zalaegerszeg, Soccernet.ng reports.
Victory has been the subject of significant transfer speculation over the last two months. The 19-year-old center-back only joined Zalaegerszeg from Banga in January, but his performances caught the eye of several prominent European clubs, including Benfica, Rangers, and Strasbourg.
However, last week, Soccernet.ng reported that Basel had reached an agreement with Zalaegerszeg for the transfer of the youngster.
Now, on Tuesday evening, the Swiss Super League giants confirmed that Victory had signed a permanent contract with the club.
They paid Zalaegerszeg €3 million for the youngster, and the deal will keep him in Basel until the summer of 2030. Victory is expected to join the Basel first team immediately and play a prominent role for the club. He will wear the number 55 jersey this season.
Soccer Akpe Victory Becomes Fourth Nigerian to Sign for Basel
With Akpe Victory joining Basel, he is now the fourth Nigerian to play for the former Swiss champions.
The other three players are Philip Otele, Ike Shorunmu, and Gabriel Okolosi. At €3 million he is the joint-most expensive player in that group, alongside Otele.
With this move, Victory will be looking to break into the starting eleven. The 19-year-old has a towering figure and is very comfortable on the ball, so he can add a lot to the team as they look to reclaim the Swiss League title.
Basel is the right club to provide the youngster with the platform to show his quality, and he will be looking to hit the ground running.
The youngster has never represented Nigeria at any level, so he will be hoping to shine and earn an invitation to the national team soon.
Kelvin Omachonu
Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.
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