Nigerian striker Victor Boniface nearly left Bayer Leverkusen in January to join Saudi Premier League powerhouse Al Nassr, but the deal collapsed at the last minute.
Instead, the Saudi team signed Aston Villa forward Jhon Durán in a record-breaking €77 million deal, including add-ons, effectively ending their pursuit of the Nigerian international.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is confident that Boniface will fight for his spot in the champions’ squad.
Boniface, who recently recovered from a thigh injury had since returned to the side featuring in their last three games and scoring two goals.
He has started two of the games and got more minutes (75) in their goalless draw against Wolfsburg on Saturday and the coach has again backed him to fight for his place again in the starting lineup, battling it out with in-form centre-forward Patrik Schick who scored 14 goals in his absence.
The Spanish coach also noted that the failed transfer won’t have any negative effects on Boniface’s emotions.
“These things happen,” Alonso told the Bundesliga website.
“We spoke before this transfer window began. He was open to the idea of a transfer, but he’s happy here. That’s why I don’t think it will be a big stress for him. He’ll switch back in his head and accept the idea that he’s staying here. He’ll see his situation positively and fight for his position in the team.”
Before injury halted his season last November, Boniface started the current season well, with six goals and one assist in his first 10 Bundesliga outings. He missed 14 games as a result of the injury.
He scored on his return against Hoffenheim before netting the winner in their cup clash against Koln.
The 23-year-old striker, who joined Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023 for €20m, recently signed a contract extension until 2029, making him one of the club’s highest earners.
Boniface enjoyed a stellar debut season with Leverkusen, scoring 21 goals and providing 10 assists in 34 appearances as the club clinched a historic Bundesliga and German Cup double.
