As Europe's top leagues prepare to resume this weekend
after the international break, several African players are settling into new
surroundings.
Victor Osimhen is chief among them after scoring in
Nigeria's 3-0 win over Benin in qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The striker's move to Galatasaray had an extra-time feel
about it last week, coming as it did after Europe's transfer window had already
closed for the majority of the continent.
The bulk of big-name business has been done until January -
especially as the Saudi Pro League has also pulled down its shutters - but
Luton Town snapped up former Super Eagles star Victor Moses on
a free transfer on Tuesday.
OceanNewsUK takes a look at some of the key moves over
the past few weeks.
Victor Osimhen (Napoli to Galatasaray)
Africa's most high-profile transfer turned heads not only
for its protracted nature but also because no-one expected Osimhen to end up in
Turkey.
The smart money had been on a move to French giants Paris
St-Germain, one of the big English Premier League clubs or Saudi Arabia.
In the end the cost of a permanent deal, time constraints
and the acrimonious relationship between the player and Napoli led the
25-year-old to emulate his football hero Didier Drogba, who also spent a year
at Galatasaray.
The one-year loan deal, however, feels like a
sticking plaster.
The contract includes a mid-season break clause, should
anyone offer a permanent transfer in January, while there is every chance
Osimhen will find himself back to square one in Naples if he endures a
disappointing campaign in Istanbul.
Africa's player of year famously plays in a face mask, but
has he seen a path that will guide him back to his best form long-term?
Wilfried Zaha (Galatasaray to Lyon)
A deal only finalised in the last few hours of the transfer
window, Ivory Coast forward Zaha will now bring his wing wizardry to France's
Ligue 1 after joining Lyon on a season-long loan.
The 31-year-old helped Galatasaray win the Turkish Super Lig
last season but despite scoring a creditable 10 goals in 42 appearances -
including one in a Champions League victory over Manchester United - he was
mainly used as a substitute towards the end of the season.
The former Crystal Palace man will now be looking for more
playing time in France, where he will look to provide the supply line for
promising young Nigerian striker Gift Orban.
After failing to settle in Istanbul, can Zaha recapture the
form that saw him terrorise defences as a Palace player?
Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart to Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund fans are yet to see new striker Guirassy
play in their famous black and yellow shirt after a knee injury picked up in
pre-season.
But the Guinea international - who scored 28 goals in 28
league games last season to help his old team into the Champions League as
Bundesliga runners-up - is now back in training and set to return this month.
Following a career which has included a lot of second-tier
football in France and Germany, his record in 2023-24 saw him finish
second only to Bayern Munich's Harry Kane in the European Golden Shoe
race.
Costing a bargain fee of about £15m ($11.4m) because of a
release clause in his Stuttgart deal, Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian
Kehl is excited about the 28-year-old.
"Serhou is a complete striker who is extremely
dangerous in front of goal," he said.
The question now is, can Guirassy repeat his standout
season?
Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich to Manchester Utd)
Another trusted lieutenant from his days coaching Ajax,
United manager Erik ten Hag turned to Mazraoui as he looked to rebuild in
defence.
Capable of playing as a full-back on either side, the
26-year-old was a key member of the Morocco side that reached the semi-finals
of the 2022 World Cup.
Mazraoui signed a four-year contract when joining as part of
a £60m ($45.6m) double deal from Bayern alongside Dutch
defender Matthijs de Ligt.
"Erik played an important part in my development as a
player, so it is exciting to be reuniting with him as I enter the prime years
of my career," he said.
Slotting in immediately following Aaron
Wan-Bissaka's switch to West Ham, Mazraoui has started all three of the Red
Devils' opening Premier League games.
Not all of Ten Hag's former Ajax players have been a success
at Old Trafford, but can Mazraoui help ease some of the pressure on his Dutch
coach?
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City to Sevilla)
Spanish side Sevilla replaced one African forward with
another after Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri departed to Turkish giants
Fenerbahce.
The Andalusian club snapped up Iheanacho on a free transfer
as the Nigeria international agreed a two-year deal.
The 27-year-old scored 61 goals in 232 appearances over the
course of a seven-year stint with Leicester, which included their FA
Cup win in 2021 and promotion back to the Premier League this year.
After opening the La Liga season as a sub in Sevilla's
defeat to Villareal, he made his full debut in the 0-0 draw against Mallorca.
Sevilla finished 14th in La Liga last season, enduring their
worst campaign since promotion to the top flight in 2001.
Iheanacho will be bidding to add the creativity and goals to
help the seven-time Europa League winners back into European competition.
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace to Leicester)
Following Iheanacho's departure, Leicester strengthened
their ranks with the signing of Ghana forward Ayew from Crystal Palace.
The 32-year-old signed a two-year contract in
a deal worth an initial £5m.
Ayew had spent six years at Palace, bagging 23 goals in 212
outings.
After featuring from the bench in Leicester’s first two
games back in the Premier League, Ayew got his first goal against Tranmere in
the Carabao Cup and then made his full league debut in the defeat by Aston
Villa.
"Even though I'm 32, as a player you always want to
learn and improve," he said.
After the Black Stars took just one point from their first
two 2025 Nations Cup qualifiers, Ayew will be looking to use his wily
experience help keep the Foxes up.
