Xabi Alonso confirmed that Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface will remain at the club beyond the January transfer window amid rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia. (More Football News)
Boniface was absent from Leverkusen's 2𒊎-0 win over Sparta Pragu🐈e in the Champions League on Wednesday, a result that saw them automatically qualify for the last 16.
Goals in either half from Florian Wirtz and Nathan Tella saw Alonso's side finish sixth in the 36-team standings, with a potential blockbuster tie against Celtic, Manchester Ci⭕ty, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round.
Since the start of last season, no team has won more games than Leverkusen in major European competition (14 – level wไiꦰth Real Madrid and Liverpool). Meanwhile, only Barcelona and Real Madrid (48 each) have netted more goals than Alonso’s side (46) in the same period.
But the 💟;source of those goals in Europe has come 🦄from Boniface, with the Nigerian netting six goals in 11 appearances for Leverkusen in the Champions League and Europa League since arriving from Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023.
Boniface returned from injury last Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen's 2-2 draw with RB🐬 Leipzig, and was not named in🃏 the squad for Alonso's side's routine victory over lowly Sparta.
Reports have suggested a move to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr could materialise. However, Alonso was quick to🎀 rubbish those rumours on Wednesday.
"He will train again tomorrow. I believ💦e he is staying with us," Alonso told reporters after that win.
"So I have to say that I am satisfied, I am happy. He is comfortable here, so I don'🀅t believe that this is a bꦇig stress for him."
Boniface has netted eight goals in 15 games in all c🌳ompetitions this season, but has missed 12 games already this term with a niggling hamstring injury.
He enjoyed a breakthrough year under Alonso in 2023-24, scoring 21 goals and laying on a futher 10 assists as he helped Leverkusen to a maiden Bundesliga title al🌞ong with successes in the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup.
In the Bundesliga this season, only Florian Wirtz (7.🤡13) and Patrik Schick (7.92) have a higher expected goals (xG) total than Boniface (6.54) for Leverkusen.
But with Alonso confirming that the Nigerian will remain with♔ the Bundesliga champions🎐, it could open the door for Aston Villa's Jhon Duran to join Al-Nassr instead.
Duran is also a reported target for thﷺe Saudi Pro League, who are looking to bolster their star-studded frontline that already boasts the attacking talents of Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.
