French Ligue 1 side Monaco have announced the signing of George Ilenikhena from Belgian side Royal Antwerp for €20 million.
The 17-year-old forward has been on the radar of the French club for some time and has now completed his move back to France as earlier reported by Afrik-Foot.
The teenager had a breakout season with Royal Antwerp, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in the Jupiler Pro League, along with one goal in the Champions League and five goals in the Belgian Cup, despite limited playing time.
Born in Lagos to Nigerian parents, he moved to France at the age of three and has made tremendous progress before heading to Belgium and now returning to France.
Despite representing France at youth level, Ilenikhena is still eligible to play for Nigeria.
How many Nigerians have played for AS Monaco before Ilenikhena?
In joining Monaco, Ilenikhena is set to become only the seventh Nigerian footballer to play for the Principality outfit. The other six are
- Victor Ikpeba
- Lukman Haruna
- Sani Kaita
- Rabiu Afolabi
- Elderson Echiejile
- Henry Onyekuru
While the list is something of a mixed bag, there is hope that Les Monegasques' new boy will surpass the achievements of his compatriots who played at the club in years past, while also following in their footsteps and turning out for the Super Eagles.
Victor Ikpeba is arguably the most famous Nigerian to play for Monaco and was even nicknamed the ‘Prince of Monaco.’ The 1997 CAF Player of the Year played for Monaco from 1993 to 1999, amassing 223 games, scoring 77 goals, and providing eight assists.
He won the Ligue 1 title with the club in the 1996/97 season and also won two French Super Cups, scoring 14 goals in the UEFA Champions League during his time at the club.
Former Flying Eagles captain Lukman Haruna also had a stint at Monaco, but it was not as successful as Ikpeba’s. He played just 54 games for the club, scoring four goals and providing four assists before departing for Dynamo Kiev in 2011.
For former Super Eagles midfielder Sani Kaita, his adventure at Monaco was far from memorable, as he featured in only one official game in Ligue 1 and had two appearances in the French Cup in a mostly loan-punctuated three-year spell.
Hard-tacking centre-back Rabiu Afolabi is another Nigerian who played for Monaco, albeit when they were in Ligue 2 in the 2011/12 season. He featured 14 times, scoring once.
Elderson Echiejile is in the same sentence with Ikpeba in a sense, as he also won the French Ligue 1 title with Monaco in the 2016/17 season. The left-back played 54 games for the club across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing an assist.
Henry Onyekuru was the last Nigerian to feature for the club before the arrival of Ilenikhena. He spent time at the club between the 2020/21 season and 2021/22 season, appearing in just eight games. Despite the limited appearances, he was able to provide two assists.
