Wolves reach all-time transfer figures

By Ojeikere Aikhoje

sportsbrandsngr.blogspot.com

Ekigho Ehiosun (Wolves to Samsunspor)

Nigeria’s leading sports business resource network, sportsbrandsngr.blogspot.com can authoritatively reveal that Warri Wolves have emerged as the richest Nigeria Premier League side in 2011 based on this summer’s transfer of players abroad.

The Warri based team has earned 775,000 Euros (about N179, 800, 000 million) from the transfer of Super Eagles star, Ekigho Ehiosun (pictured above), as well as Nosakhare Igiebor and Anthony Ujah, two former players of the club.

In the absence of shirt endorsement deals and poor ticket sales in the NPL, clubs make their money largely from the sale of players abroad. Interestingly, the demand for players in the Nigerian League remains on the high side.

Anthony Ujah (Wolves to Lillestrom to Mainz 05)

Sportsbrandsngr.blogspot.com learnt that the transfer of a fourth player, Oke Akpoveta, will take the figure closer to 900,000 Euros.

Akpoveta joined Denmark’s biggest club, Brondby, but the figures are not available.

Ehiosun, an established Nigerian International, was sold to Turkish side, Samsunspor for a league record of 350,000 euros for a year-loan, while the duo of Igiebor and Ujah, who left the club for Norwegian side, Lillestrom, in 2009 and 2010, have joined Hapoel Tel Aviv, in Israel as well as. Mainz 05, in Germany, respectively.

After just 15 months in Norway, Ujah built up a tremendous rapport with the club's supporters and arguably attained legendary status.The Nigerian scored 32 goals in 42 matches for Lillestrøm to attract the attention of some of Europe's biggest spenders.

Sources at Lillestrom told sportsbrandsngr.blogspot.com that Warri Wolves had a clause in the initial contract of Igiebor and Ujah that would attract a percentage of their transfer fees whenever they move to bigger European clubs.

Sportsbrandsngr.blogspot.com gathered that both players were initially sold for 200, 000 US Dollars each.

Mainz paid 3 million Euros for Ujah’s services, while Hapoel got Igiebor for 900,000 Euros.

With the money coming in for Wolves, players can be assured of better times ahead.

Nosa Igiebor (Wolves to Lillestrom to Hapoel Tel Aviv)

Wolves’ NPL rivals, Bukola Babes, Enugu Rangers and Heartland have also increased their earnings from the summer transfers to Europe and South Africa.

Warri Wolves:

Ekigho Ehiosun: (Samsunspor, Turkey) 350,000 Euros (About N81million)

Oke Akpoveta: (Brondby, Denmark) undisclosed

Anthony Ujah: (Lillestrom, Norway to Mainz 05, Germany) Received 300,000 Euros (About N69, 600, 000) from deal

Nosa Igiebor: (Lillestrom, Norway to Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel) Received 125,000 Euros (N29,000,000) from deal.

Bukola Babes:

Effiom Otu-Bassey: (Lillestrom, Norway) 200,000 US Dollars (about N32million)

Enugu Rangers:

Fred Okwara (Adanaspor, Turkey) 120,000 USD (About N20million)

Nduka Ozokwo: (Mersin Idmanyurdu, Turkey) undisclosed

Uche Nwofor: (VVV Venlo, Holland) undisclosed

Heartland:

Gege Soriola: (Free State Stars, South Africa): undisclosed