The 2025 summer transfer window is in full swing, with clubs and players negotiating several transfer deals. African Players are expected to significantly impact the transfer window and partake in some of the biggest deals of the summer. This article highlights 10 African footballers to watch in the summer transfer window.
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen’s well-publicised protracted transfer saga might just be nearing its end. The Nigerian striker departed Napoli on loan for Galatasaray at the beginning of the 2024/2025 season, a lucky escape following his failed quest to secure a permanent transfer away from Naples. Luckily, he hit top form and was unstoppable in Turkey, reinforcing his status as one of the best strikers in the world.
Suitors were expected to line up and battle it out fiercely for his signature at the start of the transfer window. Reality, however, can be disappointing. His only concrete offers were from Saudi Arabian Club Al-Hilal and Galatasaray. The top European Clubs, all needing an out-and-out number 9, avoided him. Victor Osimhen rejected Al-Hilal’s staggering bid and seems destined to return to Galatasaray if the Turkish Club manages to come to an agreement with Napoli FC. A shame really, for the best African striker of his generation as he makes an exit from Europe’s Top Five Leagues at the peak of his powers.
Ademola Lookman
The African Player of the Year lived up to his billing excellently last season. A driving force for Atalanta, Ademola Lookman’s absence was sorely felt as it extinguished La Dea’s minuscule Serie A title chances. He registered 15 goals and 5 assists, helping Atalanta achieve their joint-best-ever Serie A finish. Subsequently, he was named in the Serie A team of the year for his superb performances. Ademola Lookman’s stellar form over the past two seasons has earned him several suitors across Europe, and his exit at the end of the 2024/2025 season is almost a given. His public spat with Gian Piero Gasperini certainly didn’t help matters either.
Ademola Lookman has rediscovered his form in Atalanta following his move to the Italian Club in 2022, and rightly so, he is ready to take the leap to a bigger European club. Arsenal have cooled their long-standing interest in the Nigerian winger, but Atletico Madrid, Napoli FC, and West Ham United are all credited with an interest.
Bryan Mbeumo
The Cameroonian forward was up to the daunting task of leading Brentford’s attack after Ivan Toney’s departure, and he delivered brilliantly. Alongside strike partner Yoane Wissa, he ensured The Bees didn’t feel the impact of the Englishman’s exit. Bryan Mbeumo registered 20 goals and 7 assists, playing all 38 league games as Brentford finished tenth on the log. A massive improvement from a 16th-place finish in the 2023/2024 season.
Bryan Mbeumo was a reliable presence on the wings for Brentford, creating chances, burying chances clinically, and winning matches for his team. With the 25-year-old’s red-hot form, expectations are for him to step up to a bigger Premier League Club. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Liverpool FC have been linked to him over the last few months. Manchester United are front-runners for his signature currently, as he expressed a strong desire to join the Red Devils. However, United have been slacking in negotiations, and maybe, just maybe, there is still a twist in his transfer saga.
Mohammed Kudus
The tricky Ghanaian winger has seen a steady rise in market value since his £38million move to West Ham United in the summer of 2023. He has formed a formidable strike partnership with Jarrod Bowen over the past two seasons, with his lightning-fast dribbles and jaw-dropping worldies lighting up the London Stadium.
A slight dip in form last season left suitors unperturbed as the Ghanaian international is brimming with talent, and his skills can still be sharpened into something lethal. Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur have all explored a move for him this summer. The 24-year-old is seemingly bound for North London as West Ham have reportedly agreed terms with Tottenham Hotspur over his transfer. Mo Kudus is set to become the most expensive Ghanaian footballer in history. Capable of playing across the front line, he’ll be a marquee addition for Spurs.
Ousmane Diomande
An unshakeable rock at the back for Sporting CP last season, Ousmane Diomande kept the Portuguese Club’s backline impregnable to opposition players. He was an ever-present figure as they experienced domestic and European success. The Portuguese Champions clinched a Portuguese league and cup title double, and advanced to the knockout phase play-offs of the UEFA Champions League. Diomande earned a spot in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year for the second year running. The 21-year-old’s game improved by leaps and bounds last season in every facet, certifying his readiness to take the step up to a more prestigious league.
The Ivorian center-back has been touted as a replacement for Marc Guehi in the event of the latter’s departure to Liverpool FC this summer. Crystal Palace have been locked in negotiations with Sporting CP for his signature owing to variations in both parties’ valuations of the player. A successful transfer bid will shatter Crystal Palace’s longstanding club record transfer fee. He is certainly worth every penny.
Tolu Arokodare
The 2024/2025 season was magical for Tolu Arokodare, and he won’t forget it in a hurry. A breakthrough season for him in all ramifications! Belgian Pro League Golden Boot winner, Super Eagles debut, maiden international goal for Nigeria, Ebony Shoe, and numerous memorable moments for him this season. Arokodare bagged 21 goals and 5 assists for Genk in the league last season, providing countless clutch moments and establishing himself as a reliable presence in front of the goal.
His goals were the driving force behind Genk’s title charge, putting them in a strong position to clinch the title before their abysmal run towards the end of the season blew their title hopes up in smoke. His excellent form has earned him many admirers from Europe’s Top 5 leagues and was reportedly on Bayern Munich’s radar at some point. He has returned to Genk for preseason training, but his future will likely be away from Belgium, with the EPL his likeliest destination.
Nayef Aguerd
Following his successful loan stint at Real Sociedad during the 2024/2025 season, he has gained a large number of suitors. AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Sunderland, Olympique Marseille, and AS Roma are all monitoring his situation and are ready to pounce once a sizeable window of opportunity opens up in the transfer market.
Signed from Rennes in 2022, West Ham is expected to move on from him as the London Club remains unconvinced by the Moroccan’s abilities. Likewise, he is ready to move on from his somewhat successful stint in London. The Hammers will demand a significant transfer fee from his suitors since his contract runs till summer 2027.
Evann Guessand
The Ivorian forward was one of the best African players in Ligue 1 last season. Guessand recorded the second highest number of goals of any African player, and with 8 assists, his assist tally was only bettered by Nigerian winger Moses Simon. The 24-year-old led Nice to their best league finish in eight years, contributing the highest amount of goals and assists. Nice were unbeaten in all the league matches in which he registered a goal involvement. No outfield player made more appearances for Les Aiglons than he did during the season, underscoring his importance.
Guessand is pacey, agile, and physically domineering, a defender’s nightmare. Capable of playing on the wings and spearheading the attack, his versatility is an added bonus. A move to the Premier League is on the horizon for him, and it’s still a possibility that he’ll remain in Southern France next season. The towering forward still has his best years ahead of him.
Wilfred Ndidi
The Leicester City midfielder has been linked with a move away from the East Midlands-based club following their relegation to the English Championship. The 28-year-old is reportedly dissatisfied at Leicester and unwilling to spend another season in the second tier of English football. His contract with the Foxes has a £9m relegation release clause, and European Clubs have been exploring the possibility of a move for him. His reliability, intelligence, experience, and versatility have made him an attractive option in the transfer window.
Juventus FC, Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester United, and Al Ahli are all reportedly considering a move for him. He is believed to favour a move to Manchester United, but the allure of Champions League football with Juventus could result in a change of heart. He’ll turn 29 in December, and there won’t be a better time for him to secure a move to a top European Club.
Pierre Aubameyang
Aubameyang is a surprise inclusion on this list! In summer 2024, he departed Olympique Marseille for the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Qadsiah following a stellar season with Les Olympiens. His time in Saudi Arabia was a success on a personal level, as he found the back of the net on multiple occasions for Al-Qadsiah, leading them to the final of the King’s Cup, where they fell to Champions Al-Ittihad.
The Saudi Club has made a surprising U-turn from the Gabonese team captain, as both parties have agreed to terminate his contract. The club is interested in making a move for a younger forward.
Olympique Marseille have made contact with him in a bid to spark a reunion at the Velodrome. Reports coming out of Saudi Arabia indicate that another Saudi-based Club is interested in snagging his services. Two things are certain: He won’t don the colours of the Knight of the East next season, and Marseille will face stiff competition in the battle for his signature.
