German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen could cash in on Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface at the end of the season as coach Xabi Alonso now considers him dispensable, Soccernet.ng reports.
Boniface started at Bayer Leverkusen with a bang, but he seems to have tailed off in recent months. In his first season, he registered 21 goals and 10 assists in 31 games despite being hampered by injuries.
This season, he had a slow start but sparked into life three games in, scoring two goals and nicking an assist in Bayer Leverkusen's 4-1 win over Hoffenheim in September. He went on to add five goals to his tally before suffering a thigh injury last November.
Unfortunately for him, Patrik Schick hit form at that point and started scoring goals for fun, ensuring that coach Alonso kept him in the starting eleven.
Since the turn of the year, Boniface has been limited to just three appearances. And in his last Bundesliga appearance against Eintracht Frankfurt, he had a stand-off with Emile Buendia after they almost hit themselves while attempting to strike a ball in the box.
Following this issue, Alonso benched Boniface for the next two games. His last appearance was in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where he was a 77th-minute substitute.
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Boniface seems to have fallen out of favour at Bayer Leverkusen, and according to Die Werkself, he is now a candidate to leave the club.
Who wants Victor Boniface?
Bayer Leverkusen are a selling club, as that is their major source of income. However, they did not make any big sales last summer after winning the Bundesliga, as the prize money would have covered their expenses to a large extent.
But this summer, they have to make a big sale as it is unlikely that they will usurp Bayern, who have created an eight-point gap.
Bayer Leverkusen have a few players who are being watched by top European clubs, like Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, and Jeremie Frimpong. However, Boniface might just be the best bet as he seems dispensable right now. They were even open to selling him when Al Nassr came knocking in January.
Die Werkself acquired his services from Belgian club Royale Union SG for 21.7 million euros two seasons ago, but they now want 50 million for the Super Eagles star.
This is a decent fee for any top club to afford. He has admirers in the Premier League, with Chelsea, West Ham, and Newcastle United all showing interest.
Although he has stated that he would rather move to La Liga, no big club in Spain wants him at the moment. Moreover, no other club aside from Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid can afford to splash 50 million on a player unless they make a very big sale.
As the season drags on, Boniface's next destination should be know. But as it stands, his days at Leverkusen are numbered.
