Union Berlin ready to sell Awoniyi for €30m

Nigeria international Taiwo Awoniyi could be on his way out of Union Berlin after the club’s Managing Director of Sport, Oliver Ruhnert, admitted that the sale of the striker in the summer transfer window was very likely.

Awoniyi has been in fine form for the German outfit and it is no surprise that there has been speculations linking the former Liverpool striker with a return to England.

The 24-year-old was on target on Saturday as he scored the only goal of the game against FC Cologne in the German Bundesliga to take his total goals tally this season to 17 in all competitions.

His 12 league goals is only bettered by five other players this season and the Nigerian has been mooted to leave The Iron Ones, as they are fondly called, in the coming season.

English Premier League trio Newcastle United, West Ham United and Southampton have been mentioned as possible destinations for Awoniyi with Union believed to be expecting €30m for the sale of the striker.

Should the €30m sale go through, Awoniyi would become the most expensive player sold by Union Berlin, surpassing the €6.5m they received for Robert Andrich and Sebastian Anderson.

Speaking to DAZN via Transfermarkt, Ruhnert said, “It’s a nice sum, I have to say. For us, that would be a departure into a whole new dimension.”

Awoniyi is by far the most successful striker in coach Urs Fischer’s team and when asked explicitly about a possible departure of his striker, the manager said, “One of the top performers has left us or will leave us in the future but I don’t have that in mind. I can’t influence that.”

PUNCH/Nnenna.O