German side Bayer 04 Leverkusen have announced the signing of Nigerian forward Victor Boniface from Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a long-term deal.
The 22-year-old signs a five-year contract valid until June 2028 with the Werkself in a deal reportedly worth around €20 million plus add-ons.
Boniface, Announced! ✅????
⚫️???? The striker joins from @UnionStGilloise and has signed a contract until 2028! #Bayer04 I #Werkself I #WelcomeVictor pic.twitter.com/IfWFmsLaHA— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) July 22, 2023
Boniface, who signed for Union SG last summer, departs the Joseph Marien Stadium after just a season where he finished with 17 goals and 12 assists in 51 games, including finishing as the joint-top scorer in the Europa League with six goals last campaign alongside Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
Boniface, who scored two goals against Leverkusen in the Europa League last season, said: “The move is a special opportunity I definitely wanted to take up. I’ve already experienced the atmosphere here at the stadium and back then was able to assess the possibilities at this club.
“After our talks I now know: This is a top club with a brilliant team. I’m really looking forward to playing football here and I want to play my part in the future success of Bayer 04.”
The Nigerian began his European journey at Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in 2019, scoring 23 goals and providing eight assists in 66 matches across three-and-a-half years.
Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen’s Sporting Managing Director, applauded their new signing’s performance in their last meeting at the BayArena. He said: “Victor [Boniface] has been on our radar for some time. His performance against us absolutely confirmed our positive assessment.
“Victor is a very commanding and difficult to handle centre forward who will be a challenge for every defender with his physicality. In addition, he is also quick and has good technique.
“Over the long term, we now have a strong and versatile striker with potential in our ranks. He will help us improve the quality of our squad for the large number of games in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and the Europa League,” the 41-year-old German added.
#️⃣2️⃣2️⃣⚫️???? #WelcomeVictor I #Bayer04 I #Werkself pic.twitter.com/qMOaicTUjO
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) July 22, 2023
The move provides Boniface, who is yet to make an appearance for the Nigeria national team, the Super Eagles, with the opportunity to ply his trade in a much bigger league and attract the eyes of a bigger audience while playing in the German Bundesliga, one of the biggest top-flight divisions in world football.
He becomes Leverkusen’s fifth signing of the summer window, and he will wear the number 22 jersey for Xabi Alonso’s side, who are making a return to the Europa League and will also be gunning for their first-ever Bundesliga title and first silverware since the 1992-93 season.
