Arnaut Danjuma: From Streets of Lagos to Champions League Fairytale

Arnaut Danjuma: From Streets of Lagos to Champions League Fairytale

Born in Lagos to a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father who separated when Arnaut Danjuma was only four years old which made life almost unbearable. He however beat the odds to become one of the most sought players after a spectacular season

Things got so bad for Arnaut Danjuma when his parents went their separate ways when he was only four that at a time, he was homeless and had to be sleeping inside a car.

The winger however braved the odds and today, nearly half of Europe’s biggest spenders are seemingly lining up to snap up one of the revelations of the season in the Spanish top-flight

If reports coming out of Spain is anything to go by, Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma could be on his way to one of Europe’s most notable clubs.

Signed from Bournemouth for €17 million in August, Danjuma has had a sensational campaign for Villarreal in the Spanish La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

The Dutch international, born in Lagos to a Nigerian mother, has scored 10 goals and assisted three others in 23 Primera Division games.

In the Champions League, the 25-year-old has six goals and one assist in 10 matches, including one of the goals that gave Villarreal an aggregate quarterfinal victory over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

And according to Spanish publications, Fichajes, a few English and Italian clubs are interested in signing the former Club Brugge winger.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, and West Ham have been linked with a possible move for Danjuma in the summer.

Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma and Serie A champions Inter Milan have also been credited with an interest in the Lagos-born attacker.

In eight months, Danjuma has seen his market value more than double to €50 million and interested suitors may need to cough out close to that fee before Villarreal sanction his departure.

Danjuma could not really inspire Villarreal’s attack in the Champions League semi-finals against Liverpool on Wednesday night as the Yellow submarine went down 2-0 but there is still a lot to play for in the return leg next Tuesday.

“The Championship was amazing for me,” Danjuma tells i from Villarreal’s training base. “A lot of people underestimate the division. It is a very good league to develop in, playing three games a week, against physically and technically tough opponents.

“It taught me a lot and sharpened everything I needed. It made me mature quickly. I was very privileged to play for Bournemouth where I had a very good season, and that prepared me for where I am today. I am doing the exact same thing as I was in the Championship last season, just on a higher platform.”

Danjuma signed for Bournemouth in 2019 while they were still a Premier League club, but injuries restricted the Dutch international to just six league starts as Eddie Howe’s side were relegated.

Undeterred, Danjuma stayed put and honed his craft on the south coast, scoring 17 goals from left wing in 2020-21, winning the club’s Player of the Year award by unanimous decision. That persuaded Unai Emery that he would be the latest former Premier League star to become part of his revolution in Castellon.

Danjuma’s rise from Championship winger to Villarreal’s all-time top goalscorer in the Champions League with six goals in less than a year is stuff of fairy tales. But it is no fluke.

“The Premier League was a frustrating time with injuries, but it taught me so much about what the top players need to do on and off the pitch,” he continues. “I watch a lot of clips. I speak a lot with the manager, I’ve got my own personal trainer, my own personal nutritionist, my own individual striker coach, who I work with on a daily basis after training, watching hours of clips. I stay after training with the Villarreal striker coach Antonio Rodriguez. All in my own time.

“There are lots of quality players who have never succeeded in their career. And on the contrary, there are a lot of players who have no quality at all, but play week in, week out at the highest level and have lifted a Champions League or World Cup. You have to have it all.

“I know I’ve got the quality and I’ve got the capability to be the very best, but it doesn’t mean I am or will be the best automatically, so I work hard off the pitch too.

“Everything is by design, it is not by chance I am in the semi-finals of the Champions League.”

Related Articles