Ex-Nigeria-born British Player, Broadcaster Shares Exclusive Views on European Transfers

Ex-Nigeria-born British Player, Broadcaster Shares Exclusive Views on European Transfers

By Gbenga Gboyega

As the 2023 summer transfer window opens for fans and pundits to share their views on the latest transfer news and saga around the world, BSNSports.com.ng reports on former Nigeria-born British Player and Broadcaster - Eniola Aluko's exclusive takes.

One update making the rounds involves the move of England's West Ham midfielder - Declan Rice from the London Stadium to other English teams, with Arsenal and Manchester City at the center of the conversation.

Aluko, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but moved to Birmingham, England at the age of 6, also waded in on the transfer quagmire that involves the top two teams in the just concluded English Premier League season.

While speaking on a Sports show on YouTube, Aluko said the saga between both the Gunners and City regarding West Ham's asking price for Declan Rice is a basic cat-and-mouse story.

Sharing her wealth of experience as a former Sports Director on Talk Sports, Aluko said, "I think there is a lot of cat and mouse going on here, and as a Sporting Director I used to do this a lot."

"I used to call big clubs and ask them to put in a bid for a player so that my owner can put in a higher bid. It's a bit like an auction because I don't think that Manchester City wants to sign Declan Rice.

"I think what is going on here is Arteta has picked up the phone to Pep. "Arsenal is going to do some incremental bid approach, if you put higher bidding, that will push my owners to bid better.

"West Ham obviously wants a certain valuation, and for Man City coming into the bid later on after Arsenal, seems like it is meant to help Arsenal.

"The Gunners fans will be livid with their club if Declan Rice is eventually allowed to sign for their title rivals, Man City."

Aluko served as a Sporting Director at the Los Angeles-based Angel City FC after being appointed in May 2021, before transitioning to the office of the Director of Recruitment at the same Club in August 2022.

It would be nice to hear Eniola Aluko's thoughts on some conflicting NPL transfer saga as well, taking the Joseph Atule-move from Lobi Stars to either Rivers United or Kastina United as a case study.