Fulham suffer setback as Trabzonspor reject their initial offer of €20m for Nwaiwu

FULHAM'S plans to bring Super Eagles defender Chibuike Nwaiwu into the English Premier League next season have suffered a major setback after his Turkish club Trabzonspor rejected a €20m offer for the centreback.

Nwiawu, 22, only joined Trabzonspor in January in a €5.5m move from Austrian side Wolfsberger but has since attracted the attention of leading European clubs with his scintillating performances. Apart from  Fulham, Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen and Italian side Lazio are both said to be eyeing a move with the defender during the current transfer window.

During his brief time in Turkey, he had been a key figure in Trabzonspor’s defence, making 21 appearances in all competitions, missing only two matches since January. Nwaiwu's impressive form also earned him a call-up to the Super Eagles under head coach Eric Chelle and he came on for his debut in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Iran in March.

Then, Nwaiwu’s also featured in both matches of the Unity Cup last month, where he formed an important defensive partnership with Slavia Prague's Igor Ogbu. He also helped Trabzonspor win the Turkish Cup last month, adding to his value but according to online transfer portal Fotomac, the club has rejected a Fulham bid worth up to €20m.

Fulham are already planning for the future, with Morocco international Issa Diop’s contract set to expire at the end of next season. Calvin Bassey’s deal also runs out at the same time, although the club have an option to extend his contract by a further year, so Fulham want Nwaiwu to be integrated into the squad early, especially if either Diop or Bassey fails to agree a new contract and leaves.

However, Trabzonspor’s rejection shows they are under no pressure to sell and it appears that the Black Sea club will only consider letting Nwaiwu leave if they receive a record-breaking offer that surpasses the €30m Brighton paid Fenerbahce for Ferdi Kadioglu in 2024. This would make the Super Eagles defender the most expensive sale in Turkish football history.

Fulham are expected to return with an improved offer in the coming weeks and if a deal is agreed between both clubs, it would see Nwaiwu link up with his compatriots Bassey and Alex Iwobi at Craven Cottage. Last season, Fulham narrowly missed out on Europe and under new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, they will be hoping to achieve this by strengthening their squad.