Liverpool have finalised a deal for Nigeria Under-23 striker Taiwo Awoniyi, AfricanFootball exclusively reported, which has been backed up by the Echo as well.
The forward is 17-years-old and will sign a professional contract on Wednesday on his 18th birthday, provided he completes a routine medical.
Liverpool will then loan Awoniyi to Holland or Belgium in order to get him a work permit, says the original report, which also claims we’ve beaten the likes of Porto and AS Monaco to his signature.
SEE MORE:
Liverpool’s two main Lucas replacement targets named – including superb Portuguese
Liverpool put Lucas Leiva up for sale – price-tag named
Awoniyi currently plays for Swedish side Kalmar FF, but he’s been more prominent for his country at youth levels, scoring a hatful for Nigeria U15s, U17s and U20s.
Awoniyi would be the latest in a long line of exciting academy recruits this summer. We’ve secured Brazilian midfielder Allan from Internacional and former Barcelona wonderkid Bobby Adekanye already.
Interestingly though, it’s English defender Joe Gomez, who at 18-years-old is a similar age to the other recruits, who looks most impressive. The teenager made his debut at Stoke on Sunday, and looks set to become a first-team regular while the more glamorous foreign imports battle for Under-21 minutes.