Bayer Leverkusen announce Victor Boniface signing
German Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen have signed Nigerian forward Victor Boniface from Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (RUSG), the club announced on Saturday.
Boniface, 22, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract, valid until June 30, 2028 after Bayer 04 Leverkusen agreed a fee reported to be in excess of twenty million euros (€20m) with RUSG.
The Nigerian striker moves to Germany just twelve months after moving to Belgium from Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt after a successful personal time in Norway.
Boniface scored twenty-two (22) goals in all competitions for RUSG last term, including six in the Europa League during a surreal run to the quarter finals before they succumbed to Boniface’s new club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Indeed, the assertive attacker met the Werkself with Saint-Gilloise in the two knockout games of the quarter-finals. In the first leg, Boniface scored his side’s only goal in the 1-1 draw in the sold-out BayArena that gave the Belgians a temporary advantage.
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Speaking to the club’s official website after the move, Boniface says the chance to join Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a special opportunity.
“It is a special opportunity that I really wanted to take advantage of,” began the former Nigerian Under 20 star.
“I experienced the atmosphere here in the stadium myself, and even then I could guess the capacities that this club has.”
“After our talks I now know that this is a top club with a great team! I’m really looking forward to playing football in this environment and I want to play my part in Bayer 04’s future success.”
Bayer Leverkusen’s Sporting Director Simon Rolfes says Boniface has been a long term target of the club and he eulogises the striker’s attributes.
“We’ve had Victor Boniface on our radar for a long time. His performance in a direct duel (in the Europa League) then absolutely confirmed our positive assessment.
“Victor is a very present centre forward who is difficult to play (against) and who poses a challenge for every defender just because of his physicality. In addition, he is also fast and technically adept.
“With him we have a strong but still viable and flexible striker in our ranks for the long term. He will help us to improve the quality of our squad in the multitude of games in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Europa League,” said the former Leverkusen midfielder.
Boniface’s arrival at the BayArena comes same day the club kissed goodbye to French forward Moussa Diaby who joins Aston Villa after four seasons at the club.
Victor Boniface has since linked up with his new teammates in training, under the tutelage of former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso.
