Turkey's Trabzonspor tell Fulham they must cough up €40m if they want Nigerian defender

TURKISH Süper Lig club Trabzonspor have told English Premier League side Fulham that they will have to come up with about €40m if they want to secure the services of Super Eagles defender Chibuike Nwaiwu during the forthcoming transfer window.

Nwaiwu, 22, has made a great impact this season for Trabzonspor following his move from Austrian Bundesliga side Wolfsberger in January in a deal worth of €5.5m. He has since earned two caps for the Nigerian national team, as his aerial dominance with three headed goals in the Süper Lig has made him a standout performer.

According to football publication Four Four Two, Fulham are closely monitoring both Nwaiwu and his Trabzonspor teammate Wagner Pina, with a view to a potential summer transfer. As recently as 2024, Nwaiwu was playing in Nigeria with Enyimba  and is now on the cusp of becoming Trabzonspor's most expensive sale ever.

Nwaiwu is an astute defender who possesses a fine balance of physical power and technical skill, comfortable on the ball and with a good pass on him. Highly versatile, Nwaiwu can comfortably operate on both the left and right sides of central defence, as well as in defensive midfield.

In addition to his defensive prowess, he has a knack for chipping in with occasional goals and is viewed as a high-potential asset with immense room for growth. His standout performances have already attracted attention from Europe's top five leagues, with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Fulham reportedly in the mix to swoop in for his signature this summer.

​According to Dik Futbol, Trabzonspor have already received offers in the region of €20m for his services but the former Turkish champions are unwilling to do business at that valuation. Instead, the club has reportedly set their asking price at €40m, which if met, would shatter Trabzonspor's transfer records.

Their current record departure was set last season when they sold goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır to rivals Galatasaray for €27.5m. Selling Nwaiwu for €40m would not only make him Trabzonspor's biggest export but it would also stand as the most expensive sale in Süper Lig history.

​Nwaiwu still has four years remaining on his contract, so Trabzonspor hold the upper hand in negotiations. If Fulham sign Nwaiwu, it could mean him teaming up with compatriot Calvin Bassey in the heart of the side's defence.