Spanish LaLiga club Deportivo Alaves have been linked with a move for Super Eagles and Real Sociedad striker Umar Sadiq.
Real Sociedad broke their transfer record to sign Sadiq for €20 million but things have not gone as planned.
Sadiq suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) in his third game for Sociedad which sidelined him for the rest of the entire season.
Sadiq did not overcome his injury issues and struggled to deliver when given the opportunity.
Last season, Sadiq left Sociedad in the January transfer window to join Valencia on loan and impressed netting six goals in 19 matches.
There were even reports that Valencia would consider signing him permanently, which did not eventually materialised.
The Rio Olympic football bronze medal winner has returned to Sociedad but might be on the move to another club.
Now, according to Solofichajes, Alaves have expressed interest in Sadiq and are set to make a move.
Sadiq is valued at €5 million on Transfermarkt with three years left on his contract but Sociedad are expected to demand more for the Nigerian international.
Club Career
Born in Kaduna, Sadiq started playing football on the streets of his hometown at an early age. He later played for local team Kusa Boys, before joining the Future of Africa Football Academy and finally the Football College Abuja.
In June 2013, Sadiq traveled with FCA to Croatia and participated at the Kvarnerska Rivijera youth tournament. He finished as the competition’s top scorer and helped his team become the champions.
Following his promising performances in Croatia, Sadiq was acquired by Italian club Spezia. He failed to make any first-team appearances, but played regularly for the youth setup.
In the 2014–15 season, Sadiq became the Campionato Primavera top scorer, tallying an impressive 26 goals in 24 games.
In July 2015, Sadiq joined Serie A giants Roma on a one-year loan. He was transferred alongside his teammate and compatriot Nura Abdullahi for €250,000 each with a buyout clause of €1,250 million per player.
Having scored eight goals in his first three Primavera matches for Roma, Sadiq made his Serie A debut on 21 November, replacing Juan Iturbe after 88 minutes in a 2–2 away draw against Bologna.
International Career
Sadiq was part of the U-23 Eagles squad that won bronze in the football event of the Rio 2016 Olympic games, scoring four goals.
He was part of the Super Eagles squad that featured at the 2021 AFCON where they got knocked out in the round of 16.
By James Agberebi
