Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Offered Victor Boniface After Al-Nassr Move Collapses

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

English Premier League giants Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur have been given the opportunity to sign Nigerian striker Victor Boniface after his proposed £50 million move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr fell through.

Boniface, who plays for Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, had initially agreed to join Al-Nassr, but the Saudi club opted to sign Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran instead, leaving the Nigerian forward available for a potential transfer before the window closes.

With Arsenal facing an injury crisis in attack, manager Mikel Arteta has been exploring reinforcements, though he remained tight-lipped on the club’s transfer activities. “We are trying everything that we can, but I don’t want to give any reassurance or not,” Arteta said when asked about potential signings.

Boniface has been a revelation in his debut season at Leverkusen, scoring 21 goals and providing 10 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.

His performances played a key role in Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga title win, earning him the Rookie of The Year award.

Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has praised the 24-year-old’s work ethic and versatility, saying, “Victor’s a real problem for opposition defences. He’s powerful, quick, and makes runs from deep. He has a good mentality and works for the team, not for himself.”

Tottenham are also considering a move for Boniface as they struggle with injuries to several key attackers, including Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, and Timo Werner.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, who have scored just 28 goals in 23 league games this season, are in dire need of a consistent striker. Their summer signing Rasmus Hojlund has struggled in front of goal, managing only two league goals in 18 appearances.

Despite missing two months due to injury, Boniface has continued his fine form, scoring six goals in 10 Bundesliga matches this season.

While Bayer Leverkusen are open to keeping him, they are also willing to negotiate a sale should the right offer come in.

Arsenal, who recently had a £60m bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins rejected, are also considering moves for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak as they seek to strengthen their attacking options before the transfer deadline.