Terem Moffi tipped to outshine Arsenal star as former teammate backs Porto move

Terem Moffi’s winter switch to FC Porto has been greeted with strong optimism from a former teammate who believes the Super Eagles striker has the tools to become one of the most feared forwards in Portuguese football, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 26-year-old joined the former Champions League winners on loan from OGC Nice, with the deal including an option to buy for eight million euros, plus a further 250,000 euros in performance-related bonuses. The move offers Moffi a fresh start after a turbulent period in France that saw form dip and tensions rise following an incident involving a group of supporters confronting players.

Lookman, Terem Moffi headline 8 most notable Nigerian transfers this window.#Atlético | #AlIttihad | #FCPorto https://t.co/Wj6KRGGquI

— Soccernet.ng (@soccernet_ng) February 5, 2026

Yet those who watched his early journey into European football insist adversity has always been part of his story, and so has his ability to rise above it.

Lithuanian winger Mindaugas Grigaravicius, who played alongside Moffi at Lithuanian club FK Riteriai, says the Nigerian’s breakthrough was built on patience, resilience and relentless work behind the scenes.

Terem Moffi in training with Porto after signing on loan from Nice that wasnt nice to him. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/9hYKgRwE3H

— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) February 4, 2026

Terem Moffi: Backed for Porto success

Reflecting on Terem Moffi’s arrival in Lithuania as an 18-year-old, Grigaravicius admitted there were early doubts about whether the young striker would cope with the demands of senior football.

“I lived with him for three weeks in a hotel, while the club looked for apartments for the players. I was the one who took him to training, we went for rides in the car and ate together,” Grigaravicius told O Jogo as per DM.

“He was a shy and quiet boy who didn’t speak at first. He didn’t show his emotions; he seemed like a boy who had come from Africa just chasing his dream of playing football. His first training sessions were terrible.

“We were discussing amongst ourselves what he had come here to do, he couldn’t fit in or play. He was strong and tall, but he seemed weak, he lost every ball.

“After a month, we said he had no chance of staying… But he showed us how wrong we were.”He had a complicated adaptation… He had to do extra work, and that’s where the progress began.”

The turnaround was dramatic. Moffi went on to score 21 goals in 32 matches in 2019, launching a career that later took him to Ligue 1 and now to Portugal’s biggest stage.

Grigaravicius is convinced Moffi could have a better impact that Viktor Gyokeres had at Sporting Lisbon before his big-money move to Arsenal in the summer.

“He showed passion, power, a lot of strength… he crushed the defenders, he killed them! He started scoring a lot of goals.

“At a big club like FC Porto, there’s no time for adaptation… he will surely be successful,” Grigaravicius added.”In good form, with everyone’s confidence, he has no limits. He could be better than Gyökeres at Sporting.”

Terem Moffi could make his Porto debut in a high-profile Liga Portugal clash against Sporting Lisbon at the Estádio do Dragão on Monday, February 9.