As football leagues across Europe progress through the early stages of their seasons, teams have begun to settle into the rhythm of their campaigns, with the form and performances of key players becoming clearer.
This provides the ideal opportunity to make an early check-in on how some of Nigeria’s stars have performed so far this campaign, highlighting their impact on their respective clubs and their individual performances and contributions:
Victor Osimhen
Since making his unexpected loan switch from Napoli to Galatasaray late in the summer transfer window, Osimhen has enjoyed a solid start in Turkey, though he has yet to find the back of the net.
The striker has, however, recorded two assists in two big victories for Galatasaray, helping his side beat Caykur Rizespor 5-0 and Fenerbahce 3-1, and earning a fantastic WhoScored rating of 7.72.
The Super Eagles star will be looking to continue his contributions in the final third in their coming fixtures, but also aiming to net his first goal and get off to a scoring start for his new club.
Ademola Lookman
Lookman found himself out of the Atalanta side for the opening matches of the Serie A season after reports that the forward was training away from the first team amid speculation of a potential transfer to PSG.
Lookman finally made his first league appearance against Fiorentina in mid-September, and the forward did not disappoint as he scored and assisted to help his side claim a comeback 3-2 victory.
The forward is now likely to make consistent appearances once again for Atalanta, and Lookman will be hoping to continue that positive start for his side.
Victor Boniface
Another player who has picked up where they left off last season, Victor Boniface has already netted four goals and assisted another in six appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, earning him a fantastic 7.64 rating on WhoScored.
Coming off the back of an injury-hit 2023/24 where he still managed to score an impressive 21 goals and assist nine, Boniface will be looking to avoid injuries this campaign and continue his strong start to the season as he searches for another positive year in Germany.
Samuel Chukwueze
Chukwueze has had a difficult time since departing Villarreal in favour of a move to AC Milan ahead of the 2023/24 season.
In his final year in Spain, Chukwueze scored 13 and assisted 10, but the winger was only able to contribute six goals in 34 appearances in his debut season for AC Milan last year, a notable downturn in productivity.
His struggles have continued into the opening phases of 2024/25, yet to contribute to a goal after six appearances across all competitions, leaving him with a disappointing 6.13 rating on WhoScored.
The winger will be hoping he can improve on his attacking output in the remainder of the season, looking to return on the huge potential he displayed throughout his early years at Villarreal.
Moses Simon
Simon has shown signs that he is set for yet another brilliant year at Nantes with the winger already netting twice and assisting twice in his opening five matches for the club, earning him a commendable 7.52 rating on WhoScored.
That marks a positive start as Simon looks to return to the same form that he achieved in his first three years at the club, where he produced over 10 goals and assists (g/a) in each season. In the following years, Simon’s productivity has taken a slight downturn, producing nine g/a in 2022/23 and eight g/a in 2023/24, but a strong start to this year may signal a return to his very best for Nantes.
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