By Toby TAIWO
With eleven goals in the EFL Championship and two more in Nigeria’s debut match, Femi Azeez has become the bride sought by six clubs in the English Premiership ahead of the upcoming season.
The Millwall forward and EFL Championship Player of the Month award for February 2026, after contributing to goals in five consecutive matches that month, is targeted by newly promoted Sunderland and five other EPL teams.
Other clubs in the fray are Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Fulham.
His 18 goal contributions across the full season ranked joint-seventh in the entire division.
Millwall’s valuation of €20 million is ambitious for a Championship winger who has only one full season at this level, but it is not unreasonable given the demand. Six top-flight clubs tracking a single player generally produces upward movement in any asking price, and the Lions are well placed to wait. Sunderland, who themselves are newly promoted to the Premier League after winning the Championship this season, are the latest addition to that list of admirers.
The transfer story is only half of what makes Azeez interesting to Nigerian fans right now. Born in England with a Spanish mother, he was eligible to represent three different nations at the senior level. Having never played for England or Spain at the youth level, he needed no FIFA clearance to make his choice. He chose Nigeria, and the NFF moved quickly to formalise the commitment after coach Eric Chelle signalled his intention to recruit dual-national talents across Europe.
And what a way to make his debut for Nigeria, scoring two clinical goals against Zimbabwe to move into the final of the four-nation tournament in England.
His younger brother Miguel Azeez is also a professional footballer, though Miguel has represented England at the youth level and has gone down a different international path.
For the Super Eagles, landing Azeez in the Premier League next season would add another high-quality wide option to a squad Eric Chelle is still reshaping after Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 World Cup.
