English League side Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin in a club-record move.
According to reports, Forest paid £17.2million (N8.8billion) for the Nigerian international, making him the club’s most expensive signing ever, surpassing the £13.5m (N6.9b) spent on Joao Carvalho in 2018.
The deal hands Awoniyi a second chance at fulfilling his childhood dream of playing in the English Premier League, failing to make a single appearance in his first attempt.
Update #Awoniyi: Reported exclusively one week before. Now a done deal! He has signed. The final details were only sorted out shortly before midnight. Record transfer for Union Berlin due to his specific release clause for a move to the Premier League: €20.5m! @SkySports 🇳🇬 https://t.co/DDDDiD0Cl4
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 25, 2022
The 24-year-old began his senior career at Liverpool in 2015 but never played a single minute for the Reds. He was loaned out a staggering seven times to various clubs in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium before leaving Anfield last year.
Union Berlin paid just under £6m for Awoniyi at the time, choosing to re-sign the former Golden Eaglets star following a decent loan spell the previous season.
Announcement in the next hours for Taiwo Awoniyi as new Nottingham Forest player. All signed with Union Berlin, now also on player side, medical done & club record fee: £17.2m. Huge one 🔴 #NFFC
Forest will also announce Dean Henderson as new signing soon, on loan from Man Utd. pic.twitter.com/CZJYJi5DcK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 25, 2022
And repaying Union Berlin’s faith in him, Awoniyi smashed 20 goals and provided five assists in 43 games for Union last season, helping the Iron Ones’ to a best-ever Bundesliga finish of fifth.
