By Joe Apu
The much talked about transfer of Nigeria’s hot property in Belgium, Henry Onyekuru will no longer be joining Arsenal or West Ham but is headed to Everton in a fee as much as £7m.
Everton, the former club of former Nigerian strikers, Daniel Amokachi and Yakubu Aiyegbeni pulled off a transfer coup by landing Henry Onyekuru from Belgian outfit, KAS Eupen after he agreed personal terms and underwent medicals on Monday according to mailonline report.
The Nigeria striker finished last season as the joint leading scorer in the Belgian Super League with 22 goals in 38 games – 10 of those came in the final 10 games – and attracted the attention of a number of top clubs across Europe. His form was so good that he won his first international caps at the end of the campaign for Nigeria in the international friendly matches against Corsica and Togo.
Arsenal had been regarded as leading the chase for the 20-year-old but Everton had trumped them all by negotiating a deal with Eupen that will see Onyekuru spend a season on loan with Anderlecht before coming to the Premier League.
Everton felt another season spent with Anderlecht, who would be playing in the Champions League, would be significant for Onyekuru’s development and he will arrive at Goodison Park in 12 months a much more polished forward and enough time for him to be granted work permit.
Onyekuru was understood to have undergone a medical at Everton’s Finch Farm training base on Monday and agreed personal terms to maintain Everton’s impressive start to their summer transfer business.