Nigeria’s Thomas & Sani leave Leipzig after 6 months – 2 reasons behind sales

RB Leipzig have allowed two Nigerian attacking prospects, Ayodele Thomas and Suleman Sani, to leave the club after less than a year in Germany, Afrik-Foot reports.

Thomas completed a permanent move to NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands on September 1. Sani is also set to leave after Leipzig agreed an €8 million package with Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah.

The two cases are striking because both players arrived at Leipzig in January 2026 with long-term contracts and hopes of breaking into the first team. Neither made a competitive appearance for the senior side.

Instead, Leipzig have chosen to turn the short stays into transfer income while giving both players a better chance of playing regular first-team football.

Thomas returns to the Netherlands with NEC

Thomas has completed his move to NEC Nijmegen on a contract until June 2030. The 19-year-old winger will wear No. 77 and has joined head coach Dick Schreuder’s squad immediately. NEC confirmed the transfer on September 1.

The deal is worth about €1 million, according to Sky and German reports. Thomas had joined Leipzig from PSV Eindhoven earlier in the year for about €400,000, so the German club have made a modest profit after only a few months.

His Leipzig spell never reached the Bundesliga or DFB-Pokal. He spent most of his time with the club’s development setup and was listed among the players training with the Under-19s shortly before the new season started.

That situation made a move to NEC logical for the player. Thomas had already shown in the Netherlands that he could play senior football. With Jong PSV, he scored six goals in 44 appearances in the Dutch second tier. NEC now offers him a route back into regular first-team football in the Eredivisie.

The move also brings Thomas back to the country where he was born and developed as a footballer. He came through the youth systems at Almere City and Feyenoord before joining PSV in 2023. He has represented the Netherlands at youth level but is also eligible to play for Nigeria.

NEC sporting director Carlos Aalbers said Thomas fits the club’s development plan and praised his speed and ability to take on defenders. The Dutch club see him as a player who can develop through regular football rather than wait for an opening at a Bundesliga club.

Nigeria: Sani heads for Al-Qadsiah after six months

Sani’s Leipzig story is taking a similar turn, although his transfer fee is much higher.

Leipzig agreed a deal with Al-Qadsiah worth about €8 million, including realistic bonuses, according to Sky. Sani has given the move the green light, with his medical and contract formalities still to be completed.

That would give Leipzig a profit on a player they signed from AS Trenčín in January. The German club paid a little more than €5 million for the Nigerian winger and gave him a contract until June 2031.

Sani arrived in Germany with a strong record from Slovakia. He scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 59 competitive appearances for Trenčín. He had also represented Nigeria at the Under-20 World Cup.

But the 19-year-old could not force his way into Leipzig’s senior team. Like Thomas, he was training with the Under-19s in August. He left the club without playing a competitive minute for the first team.

The timing is important. Leipzig opened their 2026-27 Bundesliga campaign with a 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach at the weekend. The starting attack included Antonio Nusa, Tidiam Gomis and Brajan Gruda, while Johan Bakayoko came off the bench.

Leipzig also brought Christopher Nkunku back on loan from AC Milan and signed Marc Guiu from Chelsea on September 1. Those moves increased the competition for attacking positions at a club chasing Champions League qualification.

Why Leipzig allowed both Nigerians to leave

1. There was little room for them in the first team

Leipzig’s decision was not simply about giving up on two young players. The club had already considered loan moves for both Thomas and Sani in August because they needed regular senior football. Reports at the time said Leipzig were prepared to let the pair leave temporarily if suitable clubs could guarantee meaningful playing time.

The squad then became even more competitive. Leipzig’s current attacking group includes Nusa, Bakayoko, Conrad Harder, Tidiam Gomis and Rômulo, while Guiu has now arrived and Nkunku has returned.

The evidence was already clear before the transfers. On August 25, Leipzig listed both Thomas and Sani among the players training with the Under-19s. Neither had played in the club’s first-team campaign. A loan could have protected their development. But permanent offers changed the calculation.

2. Leipzig could turn limited first-team opportunities into immediate transfer profit

Thomas cost about €400,000 and left for roughly €1 million. Sani cost just over €5 million and is now set to bring in about €8 million.

That gives Leipzig around €9 million in reported transfer income from two players who never played a competitive minute for the senior team.

Sani’s case is particularly notable. Leipzig gave him a six-year contract when they signed him and described him as a player with the qualities needed to develop at the club.

Six months later, the club have opted for the financial return offered by Al-Qadsiah rather than wait for Sani to fight through a crowded attacking group.

The decisions also fit Leipzig’s wider approach to squad building. The club have continued to bring in young players while moving others on when their path to first-team football becomes difficult. In Thomas and Sani’s cases, the combination of limited space in attack and attractive transfer offers made an early exit more practical than another season waiting for opportunities.