Nigeria and Boavista star Onyemaechi explains Todd Boehly tweet, addresses Chelsea transfer hint

Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyemaechi has spoken out to clarify the confusion surrounding a controversial post that appeared on his official X account earlier this week, Soccernet.ng reports.

Onyemaechi, who currently plays for Portuguese club Boavista, became the subject of transfer speculation after a post from his account tagged Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, hinting at the possibility of a move to Stamford Bridge.

The 25-year-old Nigerian international, fresh off scoring his first goal of the season in Boavista’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Estrela, found himself at the centre of attention when the post appeared shortly after the match.

The now-deleted tweet asked fans to tag Boehly, referencing Chelsea’s well-known transfer policy, which has been criticised for its aggressive approach in signing numerous players, and the club’s recent issues at left-back.

This fueled speculation that Onyemaechi was angling for a transfer to Chelsea, a club in need of defensive reinforcements.

However, in a statement made on Wednesday, Onyemaechi apologised and explained that his account had been hacked.

“Hello everyone. I have been having some difficulties logging to this account for the past 74 hours. I believe someone hacked into the account and made the last post. Apologies to anyone the last post may have cost in any way, and big respect to my club @boavistaoficial.”

The post had drawn criticism, with fans questioning his professionalism and loyalty to Boavista.

Onyemaechi has, however, reaffirmed his commitment to his current club and distanced himself from the post.

Despite the social media controversy, Onyemaechi’s form for Nigeria has been promising.

He started as the left wing-back in both of Nigeria’s recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda, helping the Super Eagles secure four points from the two games.

The Boavista defender, who earned a silver medal at the 2023 AFCON, now boasts six appearances for the three-time African champions.