Last summer, Victor Boniface seemed ready to take a decisive step in his career. After two good seasons with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored 32 goals in 61 matches and greatly contributed to the Bundesliga coronation during the 2023-2024 financial year, the 25-year-old Nigerian striker was very close to joining AC Milan. Building on these performances, he did not hide his personal ambition. “Given what I achieved last season, I should be on the African Ballon d’Or shortlist, but I’m not stressing about it. If I were nominated, I would choose myself, that’s normal.”he declared with confidence.
However, this long-awaited transfer to Milan never happened. Boniface was, against all expectations, loaned to Werder Bremen, in the hope of finding a new ambitious project in the Bundesliga. But the choice quickly proved catastrophic: in six short months, the striker only played 11 matches, including only 2 as a starter, and scored no goals, providing only 2 assists. An incomprehensible situation for a player who, on paper, should be the main offensive asset of a team looking for solid performances. The loan to Werder now ends with a bitter realization: “period in Bremen ends disappointingly”reports Sky Sportwith a knee operation announced which will keep him away from the field for several months.
A brutal stop for Boniface
This medical decision, which puts an end to an enigmatic and failed loan, marks a new setback for Boniface. The former Bodø/Glimt striker, under contract with Leverkusen until 2028, will not be able to take advantage of the expected momentum to regain his best level. An injury which adds to his absence for CAN 2025 with Nigeria, he who sought to confirm his value after having been courted by several major European clubs. On this subject, he declared last September: “Who is talking about my physical condition? If I wasn’t 100%, I would be in the hospital and I wouldn’t be able to speak here today. The failed transfer to AC Milan? It wasn’t my fault, they decided not to do it. I have a strong mentality: it happens, it doesn’t matter, I’ll move on. »
Ultimately, what seemed to be the rise of a still promising player turned into a long descent into hell… From a Bundesliga title to a failed transfer to Serie A, to a transparent loan to Werder Bremen interrupted by an operation, Victor Boniface’s career came to a sudden halt. His immediate future will now depend on his rehabilitation and his ability to regain a competitive rhythm after several months of absence, in the hope of relaunching the ambitions he still displayed a few seasons ago.
