“He has enormous potential” – Super Eagles’ flying winger receives praises ahead of Aston Villa friendly

The Nigeria international is one of the most creative players at the Estadio de la Ceramica but it has  been hard to find the consistency to take his game to the next level

Villarreal manager Quique Setién has expressed the belief that Nigerian attacker Samuel Chukwueze has the quality to become a leading player in Spain and beyond.

Quique Setién made the statement ahead of Villarreal's friendly meeting with Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham later today (Thursday, December 15, 2022).

Having impressed during Villarreal's tour of Istanbul, Turkey, where they played against Fenerbahce and Qalatasarsay, Chukwueze will look to enjoy significant game time against Aston Villa.

Chukwueze scored as Villarreal edged Galatasaray 4-3 in an Istanbul thriller on December 6. The Nigerian winger was a second-half substitute when Fenerbahce claimed a 2-1 win over the Yellow Submarines three days earlier.

And manager Quique Setién would be banking on the Super Eagles forward to provide the ammunition to help shoot down Aston Villa on Thursday night.

It is a game Quique Setién will not want to lose with Aston Villa being managed by Unai Emery, Setién's predecessor at Villarreal.

Ask of his opinion at the pre-match press conference about Samuel Chukwueze since he took over the reins of management at Villarreal, Setién said of the Nigerian: “Samu is a decisive player in many moments, with a lot of one against one that worries the opponent.

“We are going to try to take advantage of the fact that it attracts rivals. All the players have good things and others to improve.

“He is a player with enormous potential from whom we are going to try to get as much performance as possible.”

Samuel Chukwueze has featured in 13 La Liga games this term, of which only five have been as a starter. He has only an assist to his name.

The Nigerian winger, however, has two goals in five UEFA Europa Conference League matches.