A new name has entered the transfer scene at Crystal Palace with the Eagles now considering a move for Chibuike Nwaiwu.
The Athletic claim that the Nigeria international is an alternative for the UEFA Conference League winners should a deal for Chrislain Matsima fail to materialise. The south Londoners are looking to replace Maxence Lacroix – who is about to undergo a medical with Chelsea ahead of a £52m move.
Lacroix to Chelsea is IMMINENT 🚨
Thoughts, Palace fans? 🤔
Foot Mercato claimed on Wednesday evening that an agreement had been reached with the Frenchman, but not with Augsburg, and Sky Sports now state that Crystal Palace are frustrated with the Bundesliga side over the speed of negotiations.
Fulham had been closing in on a £30m deal for Nwaiwu, but amid talk of a potential hijack, let us take a closer look at the Trabzonspor star.
Meet Chibuike Nwaiwu: A crisper passer than Maxence Lacroix
Trabzonspor fans absolutely love the Nigerian, and the statistics make it clear to see why.
WhoScored shows that Nwaiwu recorded a pass success rate of 91.3% in the Super Lig last season, a campaign in which he averaged 56.9 passes every 90 minutes.
Compared to Lacroix’s WhoScored page – which shows just 47.3 passes per game at a success rate of 88.2% – Pierre Sage could be getting a better technician for his system in Nwaiwu. The man born in Port Harcourt also looks to be incredibly aggressive in the tackle.
For what it’s worth, the aforementioned Matsima only recorded 42.1 passes per game in the Bundesliga last term with an 85.1% success rate, so the Trabzonspor No.27 may well represent the best possession-based option for Crystal Palace in the hunt to replace Lacroix.
Standing at 6ft 4in and with pace to burn too, the 23-year-old Nwaiwu is physically similar to Lacroix.
| Years | Team | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 – 2022 | Heartland | 17 | 0 |
| 2022 – 2024 | Enyimba | 43 | 1 |
| 2024 – 2026 | Wolfsberger AC | 25 | 2 |
| 2026 – | Trabzonspor | 16 | 3 |
Of course, some will argue that his statistics have only been recorded in Turkish football compared to the significantly tougher Premier League, and that is fair – only time will tell if the Nigerian would be able to translate his skills into English football.
Nevertheless, the right-footed Nwaiwu seemingly has all the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League, and can play in central midfield if needed too.
| Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-Back | 65 | 7 | 3 |
| Defensive Midfield | 29 | 2 | 3 |
| Central Midfield | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| Right-Back | 1 | 0 | 0 |
We feel uncomfortable with the fact only £52m is arriving for Lacroix – especially when Liverpool just spent £60m to sign Jeremy Jacquet at the age of 20.
However, if Nwaiwu can prove to be a star in SE25 for £30m in comparison, nobody will care one bit about the France international leaving for Chelsea.
How much is Maxence Lacroix worth? 🤔
The Frenchman still has three years left on his contract 📝
- Full name: Chibuike Godfrey Nwaiwu
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 23 July 2003
- Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in)
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Place of birth: Port Harcourt
- Club: Trabzonspor
- Position: Centre-back
