'I saw the news' - Super Eagles CB responds to Fulham links, hails Trabzonspor teammate Salah
'I saw the news' - Super Eagles CB responds to Fulham links, hails Trabzonspor teammate Salah
Super Eagles centre-back Chibuike Nnaiwu has responded to reports linking him with a move to Premier League club Fulham, insisting that his immediate focus remains on his football and current contract with Trabzonspor.
Nnaiwu addressed the media at a post-match press conference following Trabzonspor’s 2-1 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir in the Turkish Süper Lig on Sunday.
The Nigerian defender has been the subject of transfer speculation involving Fulham in recent weeks, with reports indicating that the English club had shown strong interest in securing his services.
However, Nnaiwu played down the speculation when asked about the reports.
Addressing the transfer stories, Nnaiwu said he had seen the reports but preferred to concentrate on his responsibilities on the pitch.
“I saw the news you mentioned. However, I want to focus on my football and the game I'm playing. I already have a contract,” Nnaiwu said, as quoted by Haber61.
The 23-year-old featured as Trabzonspor secured a home victory over Başakşehir, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice to emerge as the decisive figure in the match.
Salah opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Eldor Shomurodov equalised from the penalty spot, but the Egyptian restored Trabzonspor’s lead three minutes into the second half to seal victory.
Nnaiwu praised Salah’s quality and stressed the need for defenders to remain fully prepared when facing the experienced forward.
"Every player who plays against Salah needs to be very prepared. Because, as we all know, he is a top-level player," he revealed.
The Nigerian also expressed his desire to test himself against players of Salah's calibre, while acknowledging how difficult it is to contain the Trabzonspor star.
"As a defender, I would like to play against Salah. If I'm going to play against him, I need to be 100% ready and completely focused. Because Salah is not a player you can easily take out of the game. He has very high quality," he concluded.
Wale Adejumo
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