Deal in progress: New ‘Nwankwo Kanu’ set to join Akinsanmiro at Pisa in record deal

Pisa are close to adding another exciting Nigerian youngster to their ranks following the arrival of Ebenezer Akinsanmiro last summer 

Pisa are closing in on the signing of Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi after reaching a full agreement with Viktoria Plzeň on a deal that could rise to €11m, Soccernet.ng reports.

It would be the most significant transfer in the Italian club’s history, with the €6.70 million paid for Henrik Larsen in 1990 still the current record fee paid for a player.

According to reports in Italy, Durosinmi will travel to Italy on Monday, with medical tests scheduled for Tuesday, as Pisa move swiftly to complete the transfer ahead of their Serie A clash with Udinese this weekend. An official announcement is expected within the next 24 hours.

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Plzen confirm negotiations as Pisa assemble Nigerian duo

Viktoria Plzeň confirmed on Monday morning that an agreement has been reached with the Tuscan club, ending weeks of speculation around the future of one of the Czech league’s most in-form attackers. The base fee is understood to be €9m, with a further €2m in performance-related bonuses.

In a statement, the Czech club reiterated that the deal aligns with a pre-existing understanding with the player.

Viktoria Plzeň noted that Durosinmi would not travel with the squad to their winter training camp in Spain due to the advanced stage of negotiations.

“There is a long-term agreement with the player that in the event of an interesting offer from abroad that would satisfy him and the club's expectations, he will not be prevented from transferring,” explains Adolf Šádek, chairman of the board of directors and general director of the club.

“We now have such an offer on the table and we are intensively negotiating the player's transfer to one of the elite European competitions. For this reason, Rafiu Durosinmi will not travel with the team to the game camp in Benidorm, Spain tomorrow,” he confirms the current interest in the player's services.

Durosinmi arrives in Italy on the back of an outstanding campaign. He has made 30 appearances this season, scoring 13 goals across all competitions: seven in the league, two in the domestic cup, and four in Champions League and Europa League qualification rounds.

The striker has also attracted interest from West Ham United, Benfica and VfB Stuttgart, but it is Pisa who has won the race to gia signature.

The 23-year-old forward, earlier in the campaign, scored in Viktoria’s surprise 2-1 Europa League victory over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on October 23, a performance that further elevated his profile.

Standing at 1.92m, Durosinmi has often been likened to Nwankwo Kanu for his blend of height, balance and technical control, a comparison that has followed him since his youth days in Nigeria.

He will not be the only Nigerian at Pisa.

The club already have Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, on loan from Inter Milan, whose impressive form earned him a Super Eagles call-up last year. Akinsanmiro is currently with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles face Mozambique in a last-16 tie on Monday night.