By Milcah Tanimu
In a significant football transfer development, Fulham and Everton have come to terms on a £22 million deal for the transfer of Nigerian international Alex Iwobi. Iwobi is currently in discussions regarding personal terms with Fulham, signaling his eagerness to make the move to Craven Cottage.
The Toffees have agreed to part ways with the former Arsenal winger a year before his contract was set to expire, in exchange for a £22 million fee. Fulham has proposed a five-year contract to Iwobi, which would keep him in London until June 30, 2028.
Notably, in 2019, Iwobi became the most expensive Nigerian player to be sold when he joined Everton for £35 million. However, this record was surpassed by Victor Osimhen’s transfer to Napoli in the subsequent season.
Despite being a prominent player for Everton in recent seasons, the club has opted to trade the versatile midfielder rather than risk losing him for free next summer, particularly since contract negotiations had stagnated for several months.
Everton’s manager, as quoted by Liverpool Echo, mentioned, “There’s a few circling a few of our players, Iwobi’s one of them. The obvious thing that I think has been apparent, though I had to spell it out last week, the club have to look at the business side of it; a player with a year left [on his contract].”
Although Everton offered Iwobi a contract extension, it appears that he is not inclined to prolong his tenure at the club. Presently, the 27-year-old is dealing with an injury that caused him to miss Everton’s recent match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is also expected to be absent from the Super Eagles’ 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against São Tomé and Príncipe.
