England-Nigeria winger Damola Ajayi has joined Barnet from Tottenham Under-21s on loan, giving the League Two club a new attacking option for the 2026-27 season.

The 20-year-old right winger’s move was completed on 1 September and runs until 31 May 2027, when he is scheduled to return to Tottenham’s development side. Ajayi has moved between Premier League 2 and the English fourth tier during the past year, with Barnet becoming his latest temporary destination.

Ajayi spent the second half of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Bromley after beginning the season with Tottenham Under-21s. He helped Bromley win the English fourth tier title before returning to Spurs at the end of May.

The London-born player came through Tottenham’s youth system and moved into the club’s Under-21 squad in 2024. He was part of the Tottenham group that won the Europa League in the 2024-25 season, while also collecting a U21 Premier League winners’ medal with Tottenham Under-21s in 2023-24.

Ajayi has made one Premier League 2 appearance during the current campaign, playing the full 90 minutes. He now moves into Barnet’s League Two set-up, having already gained experience of the division during his spell with Bromley.

The forward’s arrival maintains his progression through the English league structure while keeping him tied to Tottenham until his loan return date. Ajayi has completed his season-long loan move from Tottenham Under-21s to Barnet.

Manchester United centre-forward Joshua Zirkzee, who is eligible for the Netherlands and Nigeria, is being linked with a move to Premier League club Everton.

Zirkzee, 25, has not appeared for United in the opening two possible league matches of the 2026-27 season, with no starts or minutes recorded. His current market value is listed at €20m, although there is no reported fee for a potential transfer to Everton.

The forward joined United from Bologna on 14 July 2024 for €42.5m and remains under contract until 30 June 2029. He arrived in England after winning Bologna’s best young player award in 2024.

Zirkzee began his senior career at Bayern Munich and was part of the club’s Champions League-winning squad in 2019-20. He also won two German league titles and the German Cup during his time with the Bavarian club.

His route to regular first-team football at United has been limited so far this season, while Everton are the club currently associated with a possible move within the Premier League. No agreement has been confirmed, and the rumour remains at an early stage.

Jayden Meghoma, the England and Nigeria left-back, has joined Portsmouth from Premier League club Brentford on loan.

The 20-year-old completed the move on 1 September 2026, switching to the Championship side after returning to Brentford from a loan spell with Rangers. The arrangement runs until 30 June 2027, when Meghoma is due to return to his parent club.

Meghoma is a left-footed defender who operates at left-back. He was born in Slough and holds English and Nigerian nationality, adding further international background to his move to Portsmouth.

His arrival follows a season in which he spent time with Rangers. Meghoma joined the Scottish club from Brentford on loan in August 2025 and returned to the London club at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Before that spell, he had a temporary move to Preston during the second half of the 2024-25 season. He joined Brentford from Southampton Under-21s in August 2024 in a deal worth €5.9m, having previously been with Tottenham’s youth set-up.

Meghoma has played once in Premier League 2 during the current campaign, completing the full 90 minutes and providing one assist. He has not yet made an appearance for Portsmouth in the Championship, Premier League or EFL Cup this season.

The move gives Portsmouth a defender with experience across several clubs in England and Scotland, while Brentford retain his registration beyond the end of the loan. Meghoma’s current market value is listed at €2m, although no transfer fee has been attached to the temporary move.

Portsmouth have secured Meghoma’s services until 30 June 2027, with the left-back returning to Brentford at the end of the loan.

Ireland and Nigeria winger Chiedozie Ogbene has joined Lincoln City from Ipswich on loan, completing a move that takes the 29-year-old to the Championship club until 1 January 2027.

The right winger arrives after returning to Ipswich at the end of last season from a loan spell with Sheffield United. Ogbene spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Premier League club before rejoining Ipswich on 31 May.

His latest move sees him leave an Ipswich side competing in the Premier League for Lincoln, who play in the Championship. The transfer was completed on 1 September and is a loan deal, with Ogbene scheduled to return to Ipswich when it ends in January.

Ogbene joined Ipswich from Luton Town in August 2024 for €9.5m. His move to Luton the previous year was completed on a free transfer following his time at Rotherham United, where he won the Football League Trophy during the 2021-22 season.

The Lagos-born player began his senior career in Ireland with Cork City, having progressed through Cork City’s academy. He later played for Limerick before moving to Brentford in January 2018. Loan spells with Exeter City and Rotherham preceded his permanent switch to Rotherham in August 2019.

Ogbene was named Ireland’s Footballer of the Year in 2023. He also won the Irish Cup with Cork City in the 2015-16 season, adding to the honours he collected before establishing himself in English football.

At 1.81m, Ogbene offers Lincoln a right-footed wide player with experience across the Premier League and Championship. His career has included spells at Brentford, Exeter City, Rotherham, Luton, Ipswich and Sheffield United.

The winger’s current market value is €4m, while his contract details show an end date of 1 January 2027, matching the conclusion of his temporary move to Lincoln.

Ogbene has therefore completed a loan transfer from Ipswich to Lincoln City, with the agreement running until the start of January 2027.

England and Nigeria midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has joined Hull City from Everton in a €15.15m transfer, signing a contract that runs until 30 June 2031.

The 23-year-old central midfielder moves to the Premier League club after starting the 2026-27 season with one league appearance for Everton. He has made one appearance in the competition this campaign, registering no goals or assists, and did not feature in the EFL Cup.

Iroegbunam spent two years at Everton after joining from Aston Villa in July 2024 for €10.7m. He was introduced to senior football at Villa after progressing through the club’s under-23 side, having initially moved there from West Bromwich Albion’s academy in 2021.

The midfielder also gained experience away from Villa during the 2022-23 campaign, joining Queens Park Rangers on loan in September 2022 before returning to his parent club at the end of the season.

Born in Birmingham, Iroegbunam stands 1.83m tall and favours his right foot. His move to Hull City adds a player with experience of Premier League football and a background developed across several English clubs.

He won the European Under-19 Championship with England in 2022. That remains his recorded international honour, following a tournament success with the England Under-19 side.

Iroegbunam began his youth career at West Bromwich Albion before moving through the club’s under-18 and under-23 teams. His progression continued at Aston Villa, where he moved from the under-23 squad into the senior setup before his loan spell with QPR.

Hull City’s new midfielder arrives with a market value of €18m and a contract extending through to the end of the 2030-31 season. The move was completed on 1 September 2026, with Iroegbunam leaving Everton after two seasons at the club.

He is now registered as a Hull City player after completing the €15.15m transfer from Everton.

England and Nigeria defender Daniel Oyegoke has joined Lincoln City from Hellas Verona, bringing the 23-year-old right-back back to England after a spell in Italy.

Oyegoke has signed a contract with the Championship club through to 30 June 2030. He moves to Lincoln after making two appearances for Verona at the start of the 2026-27 season, featuring once in Serie B and once in the Italy Cup.

The right-footer spent the previous season with Verona after joining the Italian club from Scottish side Heart of Midlothian in January 2025. That move followed a free transfer to Hearts from Brentford B at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign.

Oyegoke began his senior career within Arsenal’s youth system before moving to Brentford B in July 2021. He subsequently gained first-team experience during loan spells with MK Dons and Bradford, returning to Brentford B after each temporary move.

He made seven appearances across Serie B and the Italy Cup during his time with Verona, according to his career record, and now returns to the English league system with Lincoln. The defender stands 1.88m tall and operates primarily on the right side of defence.

Internationally, Oyegoke represented England at youth level and was part of the side that won the European Under-19 Championship in 2022. He also won the Premier League Cup with Brentford Under-21s during the 2022-23 season.

Oyegoke’s arrival gives Lincoln a defender with experience in England, Scotland and Italy, as well as a background in academy and senior football. His move was completed on 1 September 2026, with his new Lincoln City contract running until the end of June 2030.

England and Nigeria defender Tosin Adarabioyo has joined Tottenham from Chelsea in an €8.15m transfer, giving the Premier League club a new centre-back option.

The 28-year-old completed the move on 1 September 2026 after two seasons at Chelsea. Adarabioyo joined the London club from Fulham on a free transfer in July 2024 and has now moved across the capital to continue his career in the Premier League.

Adarabioyo is a right-footed central defender who stands 1.97m tall. Born in London, he came through Manchester City's youth system before progressing into senior football through loan spells and a subsequent move to Fulham.

He spent the 2018-19 season on loan at West Bromwich Albion and returned to Manchester City after that spell. A further loan with Blackburn Rovers followed in 2019-20 before he joined Fulham in October 2020 for €1.65m.

At Fulham, Adarabioyo helped the club win the Championship and secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2021-22 season. His departure for Chelsea came after four seasons with Fulham, where he established himself as a senior defender in English football.

His time at Chelsea included a Conference League triumph in the 2024-25 season and victory in the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup. He was also part of the Chelsea side that finished as FA Cup runners-up in 2025-26.

Adarabioyo becomes a Tottenham player at the start of the 2026-27 campaign. His arrival follows a season in which he was part of Chelsea’s squad before completing the move to another Premier League club.

The transfer represents Adarabioyo’s latest step in a career that began with Manchester City, included experience in the Championship and Premier League, and has now taken him to Tottenham. He joins Spurs from Chelsea for €8.15m.

Spain and Nigeria defender Mujaid Sadick has joined Rayo Vallecano from Genk on loan, adding a 26-year-old centre-back to the La Liga club’s squad for the 2026-27 season.

Sadick’s move to Madrid was completed on 1 September, with the loan agreement running until 30 June 2027. No transfer fee has been disclosed for the temporary switch.

The right-footed defender arrives from Belgian side Genk, where he had not made an appearance in the opening four possible matches of the Jupiler Pro League campaign. He had also not started a game or registered a goal or assist before moving to Rayo.

Sadick began his senior career with Deportivo La Coruna, joining the club from their reserve side, Deportivo Fabril, in July 2019. He spent two seasons with Deportivo before moving to Genk in July 2021 in a €1.70m transfer.

The defender has remained under contract with Genk while completing his move to Spain. His temporary spell at Rayo is scheduled to end on 30 June 2027, when he is due to return to the Belgian club.

Born in Logrono, Sadick stands 1.83m tall and is listed as a central defender. He developed through Deportivo’s youth system after joining from Deportivo’s Under-19 side in 2018, giving him experience of Spanish football before his move abroad.

Rayo have secured Sadick’s arrival as they compete in La Liga, while Genk retain his registration beyond the current season. The player’s recorded market value is €5m, although that figure is not the fee for the loan.

Sadick has now formally switched from Genk to Rayo Vallecano on a deal that keeps him at the Spanish club until the end of June 2027.

Nigerian defensive midfielder Emeka Christian Eze has joined Saudi Arabian club Hetten FC from Egypt’s Harras Hodoud on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old completed the move on 1 September 2026, beginning a new chapter after two years with Harras Hodoud. Eze joined the Egyptian side in August 2024, also on a free transfer, and now moves on without a fee being paid by Hetten FC.

Eze has played predominantly in defensive midfield and brings extensive senior experience to his new club. His career record includes 190 Premier League appearances, with three goals and seven assists, alongside 50 appearances in the NPFL, where he scored four goals and created three more.

He has also featured in continental and domestic cup competitions, making 18 appearances in the CAF Confederation Cup and playing in the CAF Champions League, Egypt Cup, Egyptian League Cup and Championship Playoff. His previous experience in Egypt includes spells with El Masry, El Nasr Tadeen and Entag El Harby.

The midfielder began his Egyptian career with El Nasr Tadeen after leaving Nigerian club Rangers in January 2017. He spent the 2017-18 season on loan at Entag El Harby before returning to El Nasr Tadeen, and later moved to El Masry in 2018.

Eze’s honours include a Nigerian league title with Rangers International FC in the 2015-16 season. He has also represented Nigeria, although his club career has largely been based in Egypt since his departure from Rangers.

The transfer gives Hetten FC a player with experience across Nigerian and Egyptian football, as well as appearances in African club competitions. Eze is listed at 1.70m and is capable of using either foot.

His move from Harras Hodoud to Hetten FC was completed as a free transfer on 1 September 2026.

Italy-Nigeria midfielder Kevin Zeroli has joined Sudtirol from Milan Futuro on loan, moving to the Serie B club for the 2026-27 season.

The 21-year-old central midfielder’s temporary move began on 1 September and is scheduled to run until 30 June 2027. He returns to the Milan system at the end of the loan, with his contract running until that date.

Zeroli arrives at Sudtirol after spending the first part of his senior career within the Milan set-up. He joined Milan Futuro from the club’s Under-20 side in July 2024, having previously progressed through Milan’s youth structure from the Under-17 team to the Under-19s.

His move to Sudtirol follows a series of loan spells. Zeroli spent part of the 2024-25 campaign at Monza after leaving AC Milan, before returning to Milan Futuro in January 2026. He then joined Juve Stabia on loan, with that spell ending in June before he returned to Milan Futuro.

The midfielder has also been involved in a trophy-winning Milan squad, collecting an Italian Super Cup winner’s medal in the 2024-25 season. He was listed in Milan’s senior set-up during that campaign before continuing his development away from the club on loan.

Zeroli was born in Busto Arsizio and holds Italian and Nigerian nationality. Standing at 1.87m and naturally right-footed, he operates through the centre of midfield.

He joins Sudtirol with a listed market value of €3.3m and becomes part of a club competing in Italy’s second tier. His move represents a change of league from Milan Futuro, who play in Serie D, to Sudtirol’s Serie B campaign.

Zeroli’s early 2026-27 record at Milan Futuro included a place in the squad for the Coppa Italia Serie D, although he did not make an appearance before completing the switch.

The loan agreement places him at Sudtirol until 30 June 2027, when he is due to return to Milan Futuro.

German-Nigerian centre-back Oluwaseun Ogbemudia has joined SV Waldhof Mannheim from Union Berlin on loan, returning to the 3. Liga club for the 2026-27 season.

The 20-year-old completed the move on 1 September 2026 after starting the campaign with Union, who compete in the Bundesliga. His loan at Mannheim runs until 30 June 2027, when he is scheduled to return to the Berlin club.

Ogbemudia is a right-footed central defender who was born in Bremen and stands 1.88m tall. He holds German and Nigerian nationality, and his arrival gives Mannheim another option in the centre of their defence as they compete in Germany’s third tier.

The move marks a return to a club where Ogbemudia spent the second half of the 2025-26 season. He initially joined Mannheim from Union on loan on 3 January 2026 before returning to Berlin at the end of that temporary spell on 30 June.

During his time with Mannheim last season, the defender was part of the squad that won the Baden Cup. The success was the first listed senior honour of his career and came during his first spell with the club.

Ogbemudia joined Union Berlin permanently from the club’s under-19 side on 1 July 2025, having progressed from their youth setup. Before moving to Union’s academy, he spent time with St Pauli’s under-17 and youth teams, following an earlier start at Walddorfer’s youth setup.

His return to Mannheim comes at the beginning of the new domestic campaign. He has yet to make an appearance for Union in the Bundesliga or DFB-Pokal this season, while Mannheim’s move gives him the opportunity to continue his development in the 3. Liga.

Ogbemudia’s market value is listed at €800,000, matching the highest valuation recorded for him. That figure is notably higher than the €250,000 valuation attached to his first loan move to Mannheim in January 2026, although no transfer fee is stated for the latest deal.

The defender is contracted at Mannheim until 30 June 2027, with the transfer arrangement taking him back to Union Berlin at the end of the loan. Ogbemudia has therefore completed a second loan move from Union Berlin to Waldhof Mannheim.

England and Nigeria attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has joined Borussia Dortmund from Arsenal on loan, completing a move to the Bundesliga club until 30 June 2027.

The 19-year-old, who was born in London, will wear the number 18 shirt at Dortmund. He is a left-footed attacking midfielder and has joined the German side after returning to Arsenal from a loan spell at Marseille.

Nwaneri spent the second half of the 2025-26 season with Marseille, moving to the French club from Arsenal in January on a loan deal that included a €1.5m loan fee. He returned to Arsenal on 30 June before switching to Dortmund at the start of the new campaign.

He came through Arsenal’s academy, progressing from the club’s youth side to Arsenal Under-18s in 2022, then Arsenal Under-21s in 2023. He became part of the senior Arsenal set-up in July 2024.

Nwaneri helped Arsenal win the English title during the 2025-26 season. He has also won the European Under-21 Championship with England in 2025, while his youth honours include finishing as the FA Youth Cup’s leading scorer in the 2023-24 campaign after scoring six goals.

Dortmund’s new signing has not yet made an appearance for the club in the DFB-Pokal, Bundesliga or Community Shield this season. His move takes him from the Premier League to the Bundesliga, with his Dortmund agreement due to run until June 2027.

Nwaneri has now completed his loan transfer from Arsenal to Borussia Dortmund.

Dutch-Nigerian winger Ayodele Thomas has joined NEC Nijmegen from Leipzig in a €1m transfer, moving to the Eredivisie club at the age of 19.

Thomas has signed a contract with NEC running until 30 June 2030. The left winger, who prefers his right foot, will wear the number 77 shirt at his new club.

Born in Almere, Netherlands, Thomas represents both Dutch and Nigerian footballing heritage. He stands 1.77m tall and has played primarily on the left side of attack during his career.

The move brings Thomas back to the Netherlands after a short spell with Leipzig. He joined the German club from PSV Under-21s on 2 February 2026 in a deal worth €400,000.

Thomas had previously progressed through PSV’s youth structure, joining the Under-21 side after moving up from PSV Under-18. His route to Eindhoven began at Feyenoord, where he joined the Under-17 team from Feyenoord’s youth set-up in January 2023.

Before that, Thomas spent time with Almere City’s youth system. He moved to Feyenoord in July 2020 on a free transfer, beginning a series of academy switches that took him through three Dutch clubs before his move to Leipzig.

His transfer to NEC was completed on 1 September 2026, with the club securing the services of a teenage wide player who has spent his football education in the Netherlands and Germany.

Thomas joins NEC after Leipzig’s opening fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign, in which he had not made an appearance in either the Bundesliga or the DFB-Pokal. He now continues his career in the Eredivisie under a contract lasting until 2030.

German-Nigerian centre-forward Jonathan Akaegbobi has joined Stuttgart II from VfL Bochum II on loan, completing a move that will keep him with the 3. Liga club until 30 June 2027.

The 20-year-old striker switches clubs after beginning the 2026-27 campaign with Bochum II in the Regionalliga West. He made five appearances before the transfer, starting in 80% of those matches and contributing one assist across 353 minutes.

Akaegbobi is a right-footed centre-forward and will now continue his development with Stuttgart’s second team. His arrival comes as the club competes in Germany’s 3. Liga, one level above the division in which Bochum II play.

The move represents Akaegbobi’s second change of club in just over a year. He joined Bochum II from Wolfsburg’s under-19 side on a free transfer on 11 July 2025, having previously spent time in the youth system at Dynamo Dresden.

Before moving to Bochum, Akaegbobi joined Wolfsburg U19 from Dynamo Dresden U17 in July 2023. That transfer followed his earlier progression through Dresden’s youth teams, where he had arrived from SFK Dresden in 2020.

Akaegbobi remains under contract with Stuttgart II until the end of the loan period, with the agreement scheduled to conclude on 30 June 2027. The transfer history records the move as a loan, with no permanent fee attached to the switch.

The striker has represented both Germany and Nigeria through his nationality eligibility, while his club career to date has been spent in German football. He joins Stuttgart II after making five league appearances for Bochum II at the start of the current campaign.

Akaegbobi’s completed loan move places him in Stuttgart’s 3. Liga squad for the 2026-27 season and marks the latest step in his progression through Germany’s professional and regional divisions.

Slovan Liberec have signed Nigeria winger Johnson Dauda from Serbian club Novi Pazar for €800,000.

The 19-year-old left winger joins the Czech side after making seven appearances for Novi Pazar in the Serbian SuperLiga this season. He provided one assist and played 442 minutes before completing his move on 1 September.

Dauda began the campaign as a regular part of Novi Pazar’s first team, starting in 86% of their possible league matches and featuring in 70% of the available minutes. He also received two yellow cards during his seven appearances.

The transfer takes Dauda from the SuperLiga Srbije to the Chance Liga, the top division of Czech football. Slovan Liberec become the third club of his senior career after Novi Pazar and its under-19 side.

Born in Makurdi, Nigeria, Dauda joined Novi Pazar’s youth team in September 2025 before moving into the club’s senior squad in July 2026. He made the step up at the beginning of this season and quickly established himself in the first-team group.

Dauda is listed as a left winger and favours his left foot. At 1.85m, he brings a physical presence to Slovan’s attacking options while arriving with early senior experience from Serbian football.

His move follows a short spell at Novi Pazar’s senior side, where his appearances came entirely in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 league campaign. The timing of the switch means his first-team record for the club comprises seven matches and one assist.

Slovan Liberec’s signing adds a Nigerian attacker to a squad competing in the Czech top flight, with Dauda moving directly into the club’s Chance Liga setup after his breakthrough in Serbia.

Dauda has completed his transfer from Novi Pazar to Slovan Liberec for €800,000.

Nigeria and England midfielder Femi Azeez, who currently plays for Millwall, has been linked with a move to Brighton in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old right midfielder joined Millwall from Reading on 21 August 2024 in a transfer worth €1.15m. He remains contracted to the Championship club until 30 June 2028, while his current market value is €15m.

Azeez has made one Championship appearance this season, registering no goals or assists. He has also featured once in the EFL Cup, playing 84 minutes across the two competitions.

Brighton’s interest would place Azeez among the latest Championship players to be linked with a move to a Premier League club, although there is no indication that an agreement has been reached or that formal terms have been disclosed.

Azeez began his senior career with Reading after progressing from non-league football, including spells with Wealdstone, Hanwell Town, Bracknell and Northwood. He made the permanent move to Reading in 2021 before joining Millwall three years later.

The player’s contract and €15m market valuation provide the current financial context for the reported link, but the rumour remains unconfirmed. For now, Azeez remains a Millwall player with two years left on his deal.

German-Nigerian winger Noah Ajayi, currently with Manchester United’s under-18 side, has been linked with a move to Bundesliga club Augsburg.

Ajayi, 17, plays as a left winger and joined Manchester United’s under-18s from the club’s youth side on 1 July 2025. He signed a contract running until 30 June 2027.

The teenager has yet to make an appearance in the Under-18 Premier League this season, with Manchester United having played two possible games. He has not started a match or recorded a goal or assist in the competition during the current campaign.

A move to Augsburg would represent a step from youth football in England to Germany’s top flight, although the link remains a rumour and there is no indication that a transfer has been agreed.

Ajayi was born in Hamburg and is eligible to represent both Germany and Nigeria. His current registration is with Manchester United’s under-18 team, where he wears the number 92 shirt.

Nigeria centre-forward Gabriel Jesus David has joined SKN St. Polten from Belgian club Royal Antwerp, adding a 19-year-old attacker to the Austrian 2. Liga side’s squad.

David’s move was completed on 1 September 2026, ending his time with Antwerp after just over a year at the club. He joined the Belgian side from PSF Academy on 1 July 2025, following an earlier loan spell at Antwerp during the second half of the 2024-25 season.

The forward initially moved to Antwerp on loan from PSF Academy on 3 February 2025. That arrangement ran until 30 June, before his transfer to the Belgian club was completed the following month.

David’s senior club career has therefore included spells in Belgium and Austria, with his latest switch taking him to the second tier of Austrian football. He is registered as a centre-forward and will wear number 45 for St. Polten.

The move follows a season in which David was part of Antwerp’s squad in the Jupiler Pro League. He did not make an appearance in the opening four possible league matches of the 2026-27 campaign before moving to St. Polten.

Born on 2 January 2007, David represents Nigeria and is yet to turn 20. His arrival gives St. Polten a forward who has developed through academy football and gained experience in two European leagues before making the switch to Austria.

David joined Antwerp after his initial loan, with the Belgian club paying €200,000 for the player’s registration. His market value was listed at €200,000 at the time of the move to St. Polten, although no transfer fee was stated for his departure from Antwerp.

Royal Antwerp competed in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, while St. Polten’s new signing will now play in Austria’s 2. Liga. The transfer represents the next stage of David’s club career after his progression from PSF Academy into senior football.

Gabriel Jesus David completed his move from Royal Antwerp to SKN St. Polten on 1 September 2026.

Honest Ahanor, the 18-year-old Italy-Nigeria defender, has joined Crystal Palace from Atalanta on loan in a move to the Premier League club.

The centre-back completed the switch on 1 September 2026, with his agreement at Palace running until 30 June 2027. The transfer does not include a fee, with Ahanor returning to Atalanta at the end of the loan period.

Ahanor moves to England after spending the previous season with Atalanta, who signed him from Genoa for €16m on 4 July 2025. His arrival at Palace represents the next stage of a career that began in Genoa’s youth system.

Born in Aversa, Italy, Ahanor is eligible to represent both Italy and Nigeria. He stands at 1.84m and is a left-footed centre-back, giving him a specific profile within Palace’s defensive group.

Before joining Atalanta, Ahanor progressed through Genoa’s academy. He played for Genoa Under-17 and Under-20 sides before moving into the senior club structure, and was part of the Genoa Under-18 team that won the Italian Youth Championship in the 2023-24 season.

His move to Atalanta came with a recorded market value of €5m at the time. That figure has since risen to €30m, placing Ahanor among the more valuable young defenders in the current transfer records.

The defender has not made an appearance in Serie A or UEFA Conference League qualifying during the 2026-27 season before his move to Palace. His recorded figures in both competitions stand at zero appearances, goals, assists and minutes.

Palace have secured Ahanor’s services for the campaign, adding a young defender who has already experienced a major transfer from Genoa to Atalanta and a loan move into English football. The agreement also establishes a clear return date, with Ahanor scheduled to leave Crystal Palace and rejoin Atalanta on 30 June 2027.

Ahanor’s completed loan move from Atalanta to Crystal Palace was registered on 1 September 2026.

England-Nigeria centre-back Abdulhalim Okunola has joined Boro U21 from Southampton U21, completing a move to Middlesbrough’s development side on 1 September 2026.

The 19-year-old defender arrives as Boro U21 begin their campaign in Premier League 2, the competition in which his new club and former side both operate. Okunola’s preferred position is centre-back and he is right-footed, adding a defender with experience of Southampton’s academy pathway to the Middlesbrough set-up.

Okunola spent the previous season with Southampton U21 after moving up from the club’s Under-18 side on 1 July 2025. He had not made an appearance in Premier League 2 or the National League Cup during the 2026-27 campaign before switching clubs.

The move represents the latest step in a youth career that began at Chelsea. Okunola joined Southampton U18 from Chelsea Youth on 1 July 2023 in a free transfer before progressing into the Southampton Under-21 squad two years later.

Born on 3 February 2007, Okunola is eligible to represent both England and Nigeria. His listed nationalities are reflected in his England-Nigeria background, while his playing profile identifies him as a defender whose primary role is in central defence.

Boro U21 also have National League Cup fixtures alongside their Premier League 2 schedule, giving the new arrival two competitions in which he can feature for the development side. At the point of his arrival, he had yet to record an appearance, goal or assist in either competition during the current season.

Okunola’s Southampton career followed a clear progression through Under-18 and Under-21 football, with his latest move taking him to another Premier League 2 club. The transfer was completed on 1 September, and he is now listed as a Boro U21 player.