Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, is poised to make a move to Italian Serie A club Udinese. Okoye’s season-long loan deal with Udinese comes after an underwhelming stint at English Championship Club, Watford, where he failed to make a lasting impression.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper had been a standout performer at Sparta Rotterdam for two consecutive seasons, earning him a move to Watford last summer. However, Okoye struggled to assert himself at the English club and spent the majority of the season warming the bench, making only two appearances.
With a bleak future at Vicarage Road, Okoye is eager to secure regular playing time elsewhere. Watford and Udinese have a favourable relationship, facilitated by the Pozzo family, who own both clubs. This connection has facilitated the smooth transition of several players between the two teams in the past.
Okoye follows in the footsteps of fellow Nigerians Odion Ighalo, Isaac Success, and William Troost-Ekong, who all made the switch from Watford to Udinese. Their successful transitions serve as promising precedents for Okoye as he embarks on this new chapter in his career.
Unfortunately, Okoye’s absence from the AFCON qualifiers suggests that he has fallen out of favour with the national team manager, Jose Peseiro. Nevertheless, this loan move to Udinese presents an opportunity for Okoye to regain his form and prove his worth, potentially earning his way back into the Super Eagles squad in the future.