Dutch giants Ajax target Super Eagles goalie Maduka Okoye

Dutch giants Ajax target Super Eagles goalie Maduka Okoye

Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam are believed to be on the trail of Nigerian Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye of Sparta Rotterdam, according to reports in the Netherlands media.

RTV Rijnmond -journalist Dennis Eersel on Friday hinted in broadcasting FC Rijnmond that a Dutch top club had reported interest in Okoye but that it was not Feyenoord and PSV. So it was assumed this could only be Ajax.

Ajax are reportedly looking to snap up the young Okoye to replace their first-choice goalie Andre Onana who has been suspended for a year on doping charges.

The Dutch giants seems to have abandon the chase of Joël Drommel, as the FC Twente goalie has reached a personal agreement with rivals PSV.

In the search for a new keeper, the Amsterdam team therefore settled on Okoye who made his Super Eagles debut for Nigeria in the 1-1 draw against Brazil in 2019.

#Ajax zou zich gemeld hebben bij #Sparta voor doelman Maduka Emilio Okoye. @RTV_Rijnmond pic.twitter.com/f0DSZJr5Bs

— Jordi Beeksma (@jordibeeksma) March 12, 2021

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Okoye 21, still has a contract for 3.5 years with Sparta and, according to the AD, Rotterdam will demand several millions to release the player.

If the deal goes through, Okoye will become the seventh Nigerian to wear the colours of Ajax after Kanu Nwankwo, Finidi George, Tijani Babangida, Sunday Oliseh, Christopher Kanu and Pius Ikedia.

Of the lot, Babangida (1996-2003) played 102 games and scored 25 goals for the Amsterdamers.

Finidi (1993-96) played 122 times and scored 24 goals. He was on the 1995 Champions League winning squad with Nwankwo Kanu (1993-96) who scored 27 goals in 73 games.

Kanu’s younger brother Christopher (1997-2002) played 18 games while the last Nigerian to feature for Ajax, Ikedia (1999-2005) played 32 games and found the target twice.