The Premier League will resume for its 33rd season when the 2024-25 campaign kicks off on Friday, August 16, with a mouth-watering contest between 13-time winners Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford.
Over the years, Nigerians have competed and excelled in the English football top-flight with many memorable performances from the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Celestine Babayaro, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, John Obi Mikel, and others. These stars paved the way for the immense respect Nigerian players have accrued in the Premier League.
Like every other season where Nigeria internationals and players of Nigerian heritage have starred in the Premier League, the incoming 2024-25 campaign will not be different, and Afrosport is taking a deep dive into the top Nigerians to watch out for in the new season amidst the plethora of stars plying their trade in the biggest football league in the world.
Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
The 28-year-old Nigeria international heads into his tenth season in the Premier League, having surpassed Mikel Obi as the Nigerian with the most minutes in the history of the league.
Since he made his debut in 2015, Iwobi has garnered experience playing for three teams in the league: Arsenal, Everton, and Fulham. The midfielder, who has played 253 matches in the Premier League, helped Fulham to a 13th-place finish last season.
Iwobi has scored 22 goals and provided 29 assists during his career in the Premier League, including five goals and two assists last campaign, and if Fulham are to do better than the 2023-24 season, he would be at the forefront for the Cottagers.
Calvin Bassey (Fulham)
Bassey’s first season at the Craven Cottage with Fulham can be ranked as a success. Although the Super Eagles defender started on a shaky note, he soon made the centre-back position his with a string of impressive performances that saw him rack up 29 appearances, including 25 starts.
With the exit of club captain Tim Ream and Adarabioyo, Bassey will need to step up his leadership and voice in Fulham’s defence as they look to mount a push for an European spot this season.
Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest)
Awoniyi, Forest’s leading marksman, did not enjoy the best of campaigns in the 2023-24 season as he was hampered by injuries, which kept him out for a substantial period.
The 27-year-old forward played just 20 league matches for the Garibaldis last season, seven less than he did in 2022-23, and although he started 12 of those matches, he was still able to finish with nine goals contribution (6G, 3A).
Awoniyi has shown that when fit, he is a handful for opposition defenders, and Forest need their man to be in top form this season to guarantee them a more comfortable campaign unlike their previous two.
Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)
Although not yet a full Nigerian international, Adarabioyo was born in England to Nigerian parents. The 26-year-old has a huge season ahead of him following his move to Chelsea after spending the last four seasons with Fulham.
He was one of the most sought-after defenders this summer, but the towering defender chose to play at the Stamford Bridge, where he is expected to play an integral part in defence for Chelsea as they continue their rebuild under the leadership of Todd Boehly and new manager Enzo Maresca.
Adarabioyo has 78 Premier League appearances under his belt, with 18 clean sheets, while only seeing cautions just seven times, an impressive number given the position he plays.
Frank Onyeka (Brentford)
The Nigerian midfielder is due for a massive breakout season in the Premier League. In the 2022–23 campaign, Onyeka played 26 times for Brentford, but he only started 11 matches, a contrast to the 2021–22 season, where he started 12 of his 20 appearances.
However, the box-to-box specialist enjoyed his best outing in the Premier League last season, where he finished with three goal contributions (1G, 2A), the most he has had in three seasons with Brentford, and he would be looking to improve on those numbers this coming season.
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
Ndidi will be making an immediate return to the Premier League following Leicester City’s relegation after the 2022–23 season. The combative midfielder enjoyed so much success in his early years in the English top division, helping the Foxes finish in the top 10 regularly as well as securing European places in two consecutive seasons.
The 27-year-old was vital to Leicester’s success in the Championship last season, with four goals and five assists in 32 league matches.
Joe Aribo (Southampton)
Aribo played 40 matches for Southampton last season, including 35 matches in the Championship and three in the play-offs, as they fought hard to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Nigerian midfielder scored four goals and provided one assist for the Saints, and if they are to remain in the top division come the end of the season, he would need to improve his output.
Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)
Like Awoniyi, Aina was not up to his best last season due to injuries, especially after he returned from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. He played 22 matches for Forest last time out and started in 20 of them, scoring once and providing one assist.
Heading into his second season at the City Ground, Aina will be looking to stay healthy and improve on his performances from last campaign.
