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Done Deal: Awoniyi Joins Nottingham Forest On Five-Year Contract

Done Deal: Awoniyi Joins Nottingham Forest On Five-Year Contract

Premier League new boys, Nottingham Forest have announced the signing of Nigerian international Taiwo Awoniyi on a five-year contract, reports Completesports.com.

Awoniyi, who arrived The City Ground for a club record fee joined from Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin.

The striker is Forest’s first signing since last month’s promotion to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old scored 20 goals in 43 games across all competitions for Union Berlin last season.

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I’m very excited to be here at Nottingham Forest,” Awoniyi told the club’s website.

“It’s always been my dream to play in the Premier League and having spoken to Steve Cooper about our ambitions and looking at Forest, with its great history, it’s a club that I want to be part of.”

Head Coach Steve Cooper added: “There’s been a lot of interest in Taiwo from other Premier League clubs, and other clubs across Europe, so we’re delighted that he’s chosen Nottingham Forest.

“Our recruitment and coaching teams have been monitoring his progress closely over the last few months. He’s a player who we really believe in and we look forward to him going on to fulfil his potential and become a top Premier League striker with Nottingham Forest.”

By Adeboye Amosu


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COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 22
  • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

    The DUMBEST move EVER by a SUPER EAGLES PLAYER!

    GOOD LUCK still…

    • benakay 2 years ago

      Why?
      Let me guess – you would rather he moved to a big club, like Arsenal of Man U, where he may end up struggling for minutes when things do go right for him, abi? You would like him to end up like Iheanacho, who went to big clubs but is a perpetual bench warmer.
      You move to teams that actually want you and offer you the right price, not teams you hope will sign you but don’t value your skill set. Take advantage of the opportunities offered you. That’s what he did. Very smart on his part.

      The fact that you are oblivious to the intrinsic benefits of his move to NF is on you, not him.

  • It is not your place to criticize this move if you did not contribute any amount of money to the former footballer turned conductor/bus driver. Footie is a short lived career and it’s important for these players to squeeze out as much money as they possibly can from it. It’s the EPL, he said it’s his dream to play in the EPL and he’ll obviously get more money than what he got at UB. No be only by UCL, these players get families to feed and them need to secure their future, finance-wise. I beg put yourself in their shoes before you are quick to bash them online.

    • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

      It is in my PLACE ooo..

      Cos HE is my NIGERIAN BROTHER..

      I will love to see him play in bigger EUROPEAN COMPETITIONS and still earn something at least…

      Abi them tell you say him dey HUNGRY for UNION BERLIN?…

      Oh! I see FOOTBALL is all and only about the MONEY abi?

      My GUY forget HIS MOVE is just based on GREED on his part, his CLUB and AGENT…

      Better ask OKOCHA ooo

      LMFAO!!

      Cos na so we WARN am, he no HEAR…

      • benakay 2 years ago

        I will assume your comments are in jest, because any rational and intelligently thinking adult will most certainly not post this type of nonsensical comments.

  • I saw how Awo was criticized on this platform few days ago. Na so we criticize Odion, Musa and co. Na we go feed them when them finish playing football?

    • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

      Anybody that CRITICISED MUSA and IGHALO move did it based on HATE..

      IGHALO and MUSA are AGED already so I can understand the need to SAVE for their RETIREMENT.

      But Come on guy, AWONIYI is just 24.

      He still has more YEARS to go and more to ACHIEVE in his CAREER…

  • Very nice move by Taiwo Awoniyi and I have no doubt in my mind that he will Excel in the EPL…….The EPL is the best and most watched league in the world and playing in it will do his career alot of good……. Awoniyi is a very strong and fast striker who can spear head an attacking team….. Union Berlin used his pace and power to devastating effect last season and previous……If forest can sorround him with brave and willing players who are not afraid to go forward and score then forest has a fighting chance to remain in the EPL next season……..Am sure forest watches union Berlin play alot and they intend adapting the same template in the EPL….. Union Berlin got promoted not long ago but they have been devastating throughout their stay in the Bundesliga because they don’t lay back and absorb attack like most promoted teams do…… Union Berlin always go for attack even when playing big teams and awoniyi’s pace and power holds them up well upfront allowing other attacking players do the damages…… My mind tells me that forest may not want awoniyi because he can give them 20+ goals a season but they want him for what he will bring to their team.

  • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

    Anybody supporting this MOVE doesn’t want the PROGRESS of AWONIYI…

    Anyway we dey WATCH…

    Shebi PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON na AUGUST?

    Ok!!

    • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

      I understand your plight Brother man. If we have to be honest no big club will come for Awoniyi despite scoring 20 goals for UB last season. The best bet would’ve been to remain at Union for another season, but the club too want to catch in on him. Football is all about business. A player they bought for around $5 now sold for around $20m. 

      Don’t forget that Sadio Mane went from Southampton to Liverpool then now Bayern Munich. I see a Sadio Mane in Awoniyi. He’s got brute force and physicality that will trouble a lot of Premier league defenders. He’s got good hold up play and an eye for crucial goals. I don’t see this as a bad move. Obviously, not the most glamorous move, but let’s see how he performs first before criticizing the move. 

      • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

        @Ayphillydegreat I feel you my MAN…

        But in all like I said, it is still not a GOOD MOVE…

  • Mutum 2 years ago

    Good move brotherly,no mind haters!! Sure u will keep banging in the goals in England.strong and brutal player

  • Golden Child 2 years ago

    A lot of people are criticising this guy but they were not privy to the negotiations. There are a lot of factors that are considered before arriving at a decision to choose a club. They include:

    1. The allure of playing in the EPL. Some players never get the opportunity of playing for the greatest league in the world. Ask Anthony Ujah and co. The EPL has global viewership and as such is a huge platform to showcase your talent.

    2. It is more Lucrative. A footballer’s career is a short one, opportunities can be few and far between. With the global viewership , comes huge TV license deals and sponsorship. Even the smaller clubs in the EPL are way richer than some top clubs in Europe. This means that there are remuneration for players who ply their trade in that league.

    3. Breaking into the national team. There is an irrefutable fact that those who play in the premier league have a grater chance of regular call ups into the SE team. Just ask frank onyeka who has received consistent call ups since his move to the EPL. Would he have been consistently called up if he was still playing in Denmark? I do not think so. In addition it is possible that NF had assured him of regular playing time, perhaps, something other prestigious clubs could not guarantee. Let us not lose sight of the fact that playing regularly for your club helps in a player’s quest to play for the national team.

    4. Global marketing. Due to the global attraction of the EPL , he suddenly becomes more marketable to the global market. Personal sponsorship deals can be really lucrative.

    5. All it takes is a good season. If he performs and he is able to score goals and meet the expectations, even if his team is relegated, bigger teams in the EPL would most like come for him.

    6. Nottingham forest are no pushover. Enroute cup competition last season, NF beat arsenal . They are not a bad side at all and might surprise a lot of people this season just like Brentford did.

  • Shuma 2 years ago

    A lot of players are sabotaging themselves by wanting to play in the premier league. I would understand if the team is playing in a uefa competition. He left a team that was in the europa league and is now joining a team that got promoted, and lets be real, that may get relegated.

    Im a big advocate for Awoniyi watching him play. In the game union against eintracht the commentator said about Awoniyi ” Union in front in the 17th minute thanks to some ruthless and muscular center forward play.” When you see him about to score, he fights off defenders, pushes them off, cant be easily brought down. He is physical and athletic. He doesn’t rush his shot, shoot in a haste when he sees the opposition coming like some players do. “Cough cough” Osimhen

    But this is neutral but mostly a bad move. Darwin Nunez didnt want to go to the premier league unless it was a top team, chose liverpool over man utd. Awoniyi let it be known he wanted to play in the premier league. Dennis left brugge for watford, and after one season the team got relegated again to the championship. A lot of buzz for Dennis to get picked up by west ham, villareal, everton, brentford, crystal palace and more. And the thing is nothing happened yet, it looks like next season he playing in championship. Forest may get relegated and the only good thing I could see from this is that teams have watched him play and would want him after one season with forest, thats why I said neutral. This is an investment because Awoniyi hasn’t been called up by the national team in a while, so the premier league is the stage for people to watch him. I can actually watch him more if he joins the premier league. When Dennis was scoring for watford he was getting called up, he left Germany because he said it was boring. Bundesliga is indeed boring being a one team league, having bayern dominate all the time. What I know is that analysts can hype a match like bayern vs dortmund, but it always leads to the same results of bayern winning. Out of the five leagues the teams that wanted Awoniyi that are in at least the uefa conference league is rb leipzig (champions league) and west ham (conference league) If Awoniyi does score in the premier league and reach at least his bundesliga high of 15 goals, he cant be ignored by other premier league clubs and the national team. Because if he doesnt get called up, I know it’s because of tribalism and or other personal reasons.

    Its not about going to a big club with rich history. There are big clubs that have won the champions league and went down. Hamburg in Germany are in the lower tier and have won the champions league. Its about which teams that are ready to compete now. This is a bad move. If forest goes down, he would have sabotaged his career just to play in the premier league. Even if he scores a lot of goals, the team is still championship level with championship defense. Teemu Pukki won golden boot in the efl and norwich still got relegated from the premier league. A lot of the se players are making dumb moves, moving backwards like joining turkish teams. Super eagles already take players who are in lower tiers in england like Etebo. Some players who are in lower tiers are actually effective like Ajayi who is on a terrible west brom team. But a 5 year contract???!!!

    • benakay 2 years ago

      I think your comments are quite premature. The truth is you never know how well a player will adapt to his new environment and we simply cannot deny the fact that the EPL is THE league to be in right now. That’s why almost every player worth anything wants to be a part of the EPL.

      Awoniyi is on a high (after a very successful season in the Bundesliga) and being in the EPL will help him actualize his dreams and ambitions of becoming a much better player, if he continues on that trajectory. This is the next challenge for him, having proven himself in the Bundesliga.

      Odion Ighalo went from Udinese to perenial relegation candidates Watford and was a hit. Ditto that with Dennis, who sucked at Koln but was a huge hit at Watford. Ndidi went from Genk (many argued, prematurely) to Leicester and was successful. Frank Onyeka joined Brentford (new comers at the time) and is tracking well. It’s not always about playing CL or in Europe – the Premiership is almost as big a platform as those competitions and that suffices for most players.

      I think his move (timing and the chosen club) is the right one for him. Certainly, this is Not a big club where he will be competing with established big players and be a bench warmer (case in point, Iheanacho, who struggled at MCFC and now at Leicester, where he is struggling at the moment). Awoniyi can build on his brand and become an even better player than he was at Union with Nottingham Forest. NF seem to be very serious about their return to the EPL and are bent on capturing their heritage as one of the premier EPL teams (as they once were). Those are the kind of teams you want to be associated with – teams that want to grow and become great.

      Also, he has a young family and his wife & kids will feel more comfortable in the UK (vs. Germany), due to the language, the food, friends (lots of Naija folks) and education for his family (wife and kids). All these factors come into play.

      So yes, counter to what you said, this was a good and well thought out move for him. His managers are setting him up for success and he is on the right trajectory. I wish him all the very best.

      • Golden Child 2 years ago

        Let me also add that Union Berlin were newcomers when they signed Awoniyi and he has powered them to European football. What is to say that he would not repeat such feat. Also NF were once a powerhouse and they have sold the project of how they intend to recapture their lost glory to him. He was quoted as saying that the project is one of reasons he decided on NF.

        I can understand the uproar of churning the chance of playing for a powerhouse like Dortmund but perhaps he was not convinced on their plan for the future.

        These are all speculation of course but we wish him the best on his new adventure. I would be watching the matches of NF henceforth. A good showing might cement his spot in the SE team as backup for Osimhen or you never know , he just might usurp him in the SE team.

      • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

        LMFAO!

        You UNVACCINATED COW!

        You are just everywhere like a MAD MAN going against anyone who is against the MOVE without knowing that OPINIONS DIFERS..

        PUNK!!!!

        • MONKEY POST 2 years ago

          @GOLDEN CHILD sorry my COMMENT is not for you oo.

          I mean you are one of the BEST and MATURE MIND that we have in this FORUM.

          You always make your POINT without INSULTS..

  • Well I was criticizing this move too but seems the billionaire owner of NF is serious about the club not going back to champion side anytime soon. He has given the coach to ahead to strengthen the squard.

    So if that seriousness from the top most level manager is there, then the move may have just been the right one.

  • John-I 2 years ago

    I’m not sure why people are criticising this move. Awoniyi can play himself into recognition like Bissouma (Brighton) and Kevin Philips (Leeds) did. Barcelona has being chasing Raphinha as well.

    Anyway, good luck to Awoniyi. One player I’ve always liked right from his U-17 days.

  • CSN the Images of Awoniyi signing for Nottingham Forest is all over the internet. Moreover if you go on Twitter and the Clubs handle it is there as he puts Pen to paper in a Nottingham Forest shirt, Please what sort of lazy journalism is this BIKONU!!!!!!!!!!!!!..

    Non the Less it is a good move for him. If he does well in England bigger clubs will see that.

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