Nigeria spent the summer watching a World Cup they were not in. That absence has dominated everything written about Nigerian football since November. It’s also clouded the fact that the presence of Nigerian players in the English Premier League is now as strong as it has been in years, and could get even better.
The new season starts on August 22, and eight Nigeria-eligible players will be lining out in the division. This includes established internationals with mid-table clubs, three with promoted sides, and one teenager whose transfer fee was record-breaking in Sweden.
The only disappointing thing is that none of them will realistically win the title according to the odds on the best betting sites in Nigeria.
No Nigerian has lifted the Premier League since Victor Moses with Chelsea in 2016/2017. However, there is still real depth, and it’s a positive sign of where Nigeria’s football talent pipeline actually is in 2026. Here are some of the top players to watch out for:
Alex Iwobi
Iwobi is now 30 years old and is perhaps the most complete Nigerian player in the league. He played 29 times last season, scoring four goals and creating 38 chances. He now has over 100 appearances for Fulham and is getting near the same total with Nigeria.
His flexibility is what makes him stand out, as he can play in central midfield, as an attacking threat, an inverted winger, or a wide forward. He’s able to switch positions with ease, making him one of the first names on the teamsheet.
One complication is that Marco Silva has departed Craven Cottage to take over at Benfica, with Alvaro Arbeloa taking over on a three-year deal. Whether Arbeloa will have the same place for Iwobi remains to be seen.
Calvin Bassey
Bassey is another Fulham player, arriving there in 2023 from Ajax. He’s quietly built a great reputation for himself, winning the Fulham Player of the Year award and being the first-choice left-sided centre-back. The 26-year-old is aerially dominant and has been composed in the biggest moments.
His contract is up in June 2027 with a club option. He’s arguably Nigeria’s best overall player in England, despite playing for a club that finished in the bottom half of the table last season.
Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi
The pair of Nottingham Forest players have been quietly going about their business at the City Ground. Aina recently signed a contract extension, and he has been one of the most assured right-backs in the league since then.
Awoniyi has struggled somewhat to break into the team on a regular basis. His last two seasons have been interrupted by injuries, but he showed what he’s capable of in glimpses, especially when scoring two goals in a win against Chelsea in May. The question for him is whether he can string together a good run of injury-free appearances.
The Promoted Trio
Coventry, Hull, and Ipswich all got promoted, and they each have a Nigerian player. Frank Onyeka has the most to prove after a poor season in Brentford before moving to Frank Lampard’s Coventry. Getting Premier League minutes will be vital if he’s to stay in the plans of interim manager Eric Chelle.
Semi Ajayi gets back to the Premier League with Hull, with this likely being the 32-year-old’s last proper chance of a good run in top-flight football. Then Chuba Akpom is at Ipswich, and he’s been on prolific goalscoring runs in the past.
Zadok Yohanna
The most intriguing arrival isn’t even a full Nigerian international yet. Zadok Yohanna is 19 and joins Brighton after a £21.5 million signing from AI Stockholm. This made him the most expensive player ever sold by a Swedish club.
He scored five times and had four assists in his debut season in Sweden, with just 18 appearances. He was in high demand with multiple clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig. Brighton haven’t loaned him out, so he looks to be in the plans of Fabian Hürzeler from the start.