19-year-old Nigerian forward seals €30m move to Al-Ittihad, rewriting national transfer history.
Nigerian football has a new record-setter in the transfer market. George Ilenikhena has etched his name into the history books after completing a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ittihad, becoming Nigeria’s most expensive teenage transfer of all time.
The 19-year-old forward sealed a reported €30 million transfer from AS Monaco to Al-Ittihad — a figure that surpasses the long-standing benchmark set by John Mikel Obi’s €20 million move from Norwegian side Lyn to Chelsea during the 2006/07 season.
Monaco confirmed the deal on Tuesday, praising Ilenikhena for his contributions during his time with the Ligue 1 club. The young Nigerian featured in 51 appearances for Monaco, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists across all competitions before securing the lucrative Saudi Pro League contract.
Record-Breaking Teenage Transfer
Ilenikhena’s €30 million switch not only overtakes Mikel Obi’s nearly two-decade-old mark, but also leapt past other notable Nigerian teenage transfers in recent years, such as Honest Ahanor’s €17 million move to Atalanta in the 2025/26 season, according to Transfermarkt data.
Before joining Monaco in the summer of 2024, Ilenikhena had already made a name for himself in Europe with Belgian champions Royal Antwerp, and earlier at Amiens, where he began his senior career.
Born in Lagos and raised in France from the age of three, Ilenikhena’s rise through European football has been rapid — featuring youthful promise with strong goal-scoring flashes that have caught the eye of scouts across the continent.
Nigeria’s Rising Football Star on the Global Stage
The young forward’s record-breaking transfer also places him among the top five most expensive Nigerian football exports of all time, with only elite stars including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi ahead in overall transfer valuation.
For Nigerian football fans and scouts, Ilenikhena’s move represents a continuing trend of Nigerian talents making significant economic and sporting impact abroad; especially in a market increasingly open to young African forwards with the potential to become global stars.
As Ilenikhena prepares to wear the Al-Ittihad colours, all eyes will be on how the Nigerian teen adapts to the Saudi Pro League and whether he becomes the next African forward to shine on the global stage.
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