Nigeria striker Victor Boniface has finally opened up about his collapsed move to join Al Nassr from Bayer Leverkusen last season.
The Super Eagles attacker had already agreed personal terms with the Saudi Pro League club and was gearing up to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 24-year-old was also set to earn around €45 million over the course of a proposed three-year contract, per multiple sources.
He passed his medicals and was ready to travel to the Middle East, but the Arab club decided to sign Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran instead.
In an interview with The Culture League podcast, the Nigerian forward described how he was emotionally and physically ready to join the team, even packing his bags and making the trip halfway, only to have the agreement fall through in a devastating way.
It was a big offer! €70M for the club (Leverkusen), so they couldn’t say no. They accepted, so I was ready to go, and I even had my suitcases packed. I was living in Cologne, so I went to Frankfurt airport. The offer was so huge that I even gave away some of my luxury (designer) clothes to my friends at home.
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Boniface devastated by failed deal
However, the deal fell through and the Nigeria international had to stay in Germany. Recalling how he felt at the time, Boniface who’s known for his jovial attitude, humorously said:
Victor Boniface
I was at the airport, waiting, praying that the transfer would go through… but my village people were like come and go, let’s see, but at the last minute, everything fell through. So, I called my friend and said, ‘Do you remember the Louis Vuitton T-shirt I gave you?
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Last season, Boniface scored 11 goals in 27 matches.
