Boniface suffers biggest value drop in Bundesliga

Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface has suffered the biggest market value drop in the Bundesliga, plummeting from €40m to €20m, according to the latest update by respected football statistics site Transfermarkt.

The 24-year-old striker’s worth has been halved following a disappointing few months both at club and international level, marking a dramatic fall for a player who was once among Nigeria’s most prized assets in Europe.

Boniface remains the most valuable player at Werder Bremen and is now Nigeria’s sixth most valuable footballer, down from third position just weeks ago. He is ranked 57th among Bundesliga players, 68th among players born in 2000, and 79th among all centre-forwards globally.

The striker’s summer unravelled after a failed multimillion-euro transfer to AC Milan, where he reportedly failed his medical examination. The collapsed move was a significant setback for a player whose value had soared from under €1m three years ago to €45m during Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten Bundesliga campaign in 2023/24.

Eventually loaned out to Werder Bremen from Leverkusen, Boniface has yet to score his first goal for his new club despite making four substitute appearances. He provided one assist in Bremen’s 4-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, but has struggled to make a significant impact.

Things haven’t been brighter on the international stage either. Since Eric Chelle took charge of the Super Eagles, Boniface has been left on the fringes of the squad.

The Nigerian coach omitted him from the World Cup qualifiers in September and October, choosing instead to rely on Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare, and Terem Moffi as backups to star striker Victor Osimhen.

The dramatic decline represents a significant blow for a player whose exploits at Union Saint-Gilloise, where he won the Europa League Golden Boot in 2023, had propelled him onto the European stage and earned him a move to Leverkusen, where he won three trophies in 2024.

Other Nigerian players in the Bundesliga—Nathan Tella (€15m), Felix Agu (€8m), Jordan Torunarigha (€4m), and Kevin Akpoguma (€2.5m)—saw no change in their valuations.

Whilst Boniface’s stock has fallen, the latest market value update brought plenty of good news elsewhere, especially for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund stars.

Bayern’s Jamal Musiala, unchanged at €140m, now sits alone at the top of the Bundesliga value rankings following Florian Wirtz’s move to Liverpool. His teammate Michael Olise enjoyed a huge leap, rising €30m to €130m, as he continues to grow his status as one of the league’s brightest young wingers.

Remarkably, both Musiala and Olise have Nigerian roots.

Elsewhere, Dayot Upamecano’s value increased by 20 per cent to €60m, whilst teenage sensation Lennart Karl enjoyed a staggering 1,233 per cent jump, from €1.5m to €20m, making him the most valuable player born in 2008.(Punch)