6 Super Eagles stars who could make a January comeback

Being without a club can quickly push a footballer out of the national-team picture. That is especially true for Nigeria's Super Eagles where competition for places has become fierce, Soccernet.ng reports.

Yet free agency does not always mean a player has lost his quality. Several Nigerian internationals have played in the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Ligue 1, the Turkish Süper Lig and European competitions. Some have also won major trophies or carried important roles for their clubs.

Many of them are now without a club. However, a January move could give some of them the platform they need to rebuild their careers.

These six players offer different reasons why a new club could still change their stories. 

Super Eagles stars who could revive their careers with a January transfer

6. Sunusi Ibrahim

Market value: €400,000

Ibrahim has already shown that he can score consistently. At 16, he made his professional debut for Nasarawa United and scored 18 goals in 22 games in his first season, finishing as the NPFL's top scorer.

His MLS spell with CF Montréal produced 13 goals and four assists in league play across five seasons, although he managed only 78 minutes in 2025. At 23, a January move that guarantees regular football could be exactly what he needs.

5. Kenneth Omeruo

Market value: €400,000

Omeruo's value is built on experience rather than resale potential. The 32-year-old has 69 Nigeria caps, played at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and was part of the 2013 AFCON-winning team.

His club career includes Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Kasımpaşa and Leganés. The problem is his lack of recent football. He made only five league appearances for Kasımpaşa in 2024-25 before leaving CFR Cluj without playing a league match. A January return to regular action could put his experience back to work.

4. Isaac Success

Market value: €700,000

Success once looked destined for a major Premier League career. Watford paid a club-record £12.5m for him in July 2016 after he scored six La Liga goals for Granada.

Injuries and inconsistent form changed that path. The 30-year-old has only four Nigeria caps, but his ability to play through the middle or from either wing still gives him tactical value. The Super Eagles striker is on the market after parting ways with Libya's Al-Ta'awon SC.

3. Tyronne Ebuehi

Market value: €700,000

Ebuehi offers something Nigeria always needs, a natural full-back with experience in Europe's top leagues. He played at the 2018 World Cup and has 13 Super Eagles caps.

The 30-year-old spent four seasons with Empoli and made 17 Serie B appearances in 2025-26, scoring once and assisting once. He became a free agent this summer but a healthy, active Ebuehi would be a useful January pickup.

2. Henry Onyekuru

Market value: €1m

Onyekuru's career record makes his current situation difficult to ignore. He scored 22 goals for Eupen in the 2016-17 Belgian top-flight season, attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain before joining Everton.

He later scored 14 league goals for Galatasaray in 2018-19 and won domestic trophies in Turkey. His 245 career appearances include 82 goals, . After a difficult spell at Gençlerbirliği, he became a free agent in July 2026. At 29, he still has time for a serious comeback.

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1. Joe Aribo

Market value: €1.8m

Aribo is the strongest January proposition on this list. Transfermarkt values the 29-year-old midfielder at €1.8m and records 34 Nigeria caps and two goals.

He has 53 Premier League appearances for Southampton, previously starred for Rangers and won the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership. His most famous club moment came in the 2022 Europa League final when he put Rangers ahead against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 57th minute. He left Southampton in July after a Leicester loan and is now attracting interest from Wycombe. A move that restores regular football could quickly put Aribo back into the Super Eagles conversation.