Nigeria are accelerating their attempts to snatch Arsenal wonderkid Bukayo Saka from England.
The 18-year-old is emerging as a real contender to break into Gareth Southgate’s squad following a string of excellent displays for his club.
He has represented England at junior level and currently plays for the Under 19 side but he is in line — at the very least — for a promotion to the Under 21s.
Nigeria are prepared to fast-track the left-sided utility player into the senior set-up in the hope of persuading him to choose an international career with the Super Eagles.
Their ploy to tempt Saka has taken a back seat in recent weeks owing to the long delay in international football due to coronavirus. But with national team matches due to return in September, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will ramp up their efforts, with Saka still to make a final decision.
In recent years, Nigeria have successfully persuaded Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Victor Moses to switch allegiance from England.
However, they failed in their bid to entice Chelsea pair Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori earlier this season after both players committed their international futures to England.
