Super Eagles watch: Did Osimhen, Aina, Azeez, Aribo make transfer deadline day moves?

Transfer deadline day brought plenty of movement around several Super Eagles stars, but only some of the major stories ended with a completed deal, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Premier League window closed at 11 p.m. BST on Tuesday, September 1, with Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina and Femi Azeez among the Super Eagles players at the centre of late talks.

Azeez was the clear winner. Brighton & Hove Albion reached an agreement with Millwall for the 25-year-old winger after several attempts to sign him. Aina’s story went in the opposite direction. Osimhen was the other major name without a move. Arsenal and Manchester United were linked with late interest in the Galatasaray striker, but no formal deal was completed before the Premier League deadline.

Osimhen ended deadline day as a Galatasaray player. The 27-year-old had been one of the names most closely linked with a Premier League move during the final weeks of the window.

Arsenal’s name appeared repeatedly, while former Manchester United striker Louis Saha publicly urged his old club to make a late attempt to sign the Nigerian. United, however, had not made a formal move before the final day.

The financial side of the deal was always a major obstacle. Galatasaray paid Napoli €75 million for Osimhen in July 2025 and gave him a four-year contract. The club’s official announcement listed a guaranteed net salary of €15 million per season, a €1 million loyalty bonus and €5 million per season for image rights.

That means any Premier League club had to solve more than the transfer fee. It also had to build a salary package capable of competing with the agreement Osimhen already has in Istanbul.

There was also little reason for Galatasaray to make a quick sale. Osimhen had helped the Turkish club win the Süper Lig title in consecutive seasons and had started the 2026-27 campaign strongly, with five league goals and two assists after his first three matches.

So, after months of Premier League speculation, the 11 p.m. BST deadline passed and Osimhen stayed at Galatasaray.

Aina also stayed where he was, but his case was much more dramatic.

Everton had identified the 29-year-old as a solution to their right-back problem after Seamus Coleman’s retirement. David Moyes’ side had been discussing a deal with Nottingham Forest, and reports on deadline day suggested talks were still being considered.

Then came the problem that had little to do with Aina himself. Everton had agreed a proposed £40 million sale of young midfielder Harrison Armstrong to Forest. Everton supporters reacted angrily to the plan, including during the club’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. The backlash became so strong that Everton reversed the decision and stopped Armstrong’s move.

Aina’s proposed transfer had been connected to that wider piece of business. Once Everton pulled the plug on Armstrong’s departure, the financial structure around Aina also fell apart.

There was still some hope on September 1 because Everton had a clear need for a right-back. Aina had Premier League experience with Chelsea, Hull City, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Forest, making him a ready-made option for Moyes. But the late push did not produce an agreement.

The final result was another season at Nottingham Forest for Aina.

The numbers explain why the move mattered to both clubs. Millwall had signed Azeez from Reading for about £1 million in 2024. Two years later, they were set to receive more than 12 times that initial investment before all add-ons were even considered. The transfer was also set to become a club-record sale if the performance clauses are met.

Azeez’s form made the move easier to understand. He scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists in 37 Championship appearances last season. His performances earned him a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Year and helped bring his first senior Nigeria Super Eagles call-up. The move also gives him the chance he had wanted: Premier League football.

Brighton have a demanding schedule ahead, with Premier League football and the UEFA Conference League. Azeez now moves into a squad where competition for attacking places will be intense, but he arrives with a clear record of producing goals and assists in the Championship.

The deal was one of the late Nigerian success stories of the window.

The 30-year-old midfielder left Southampton after his contract expired and joined Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer. The move gives the former Rangers and Super Eagles player a new challenge in League One after a difficult spell in the Premier League, including a loan period at Leicester City.

Aribo’s next task is less about the glamour of deadline day and more about playing regularly. His experience with Rangers, Southampton and Nigeria gives Wycombe a midfielder with a long record of top-level football.

That makes the move important for Aribo even though it did not carry the drama of Azeez’s Brighton deal. A regular role at Adams Park could help him rebuild his club career and keep himself in the conversation around the Super Eagles.

Two other Nigerian players also attracted serious deadline-day attention.

Suleman Sani was close to leaving RB Leipzig for Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah. Reports from Sky Germany said the clubs had agreed a package of about €8 million, including realistic bonuses. Sani had joined Leipzig from AS Trenčín for just over €5 million in January, but he had not played a competitive minute for Leipzig’s first team.

His case was different from the Premier League deals because Saudi Arabia’s transfer window gives clubs more time. The Saudi window was scheduled to close later than the Premier League window, so Sani’s situation could continue after the English deadline.

Otele was another late name. Lazio made contact with Basel over a possible move for the 27-year-old winger. Italian reports said the Serie A club were exploring a loan deal with an option to buy, but the discussions did not produce a completed transfer before the window closed. Otele had returned to Basel after spending the second half of last season on loan at Hamburg.

There was also late interest in Chuba Akpom. Sheffield United asked Ipswich Town about a loan deal for the forward, but the move did not get completed before the 11 p.m. BST deadline.