Zaidu Sanusi: Premier League’s New Beautiful Bride

Global soccer

After a scintillating performance in which he helped FC Porto win the Portuguese league, Super Eagles defender, Zaidu Sanusi may be joining Nigerian legion in the Premier League with four English teams already scrambling for his signature. His 50 million euros release clause may however hinder the 25-year-old from playing in the world’s most exciting league

Four Premier League clubs- Fulham, Brighton, Everton and Crystal Palace are locked in a battle for the services of the Super Eagles and Porto defender, Zaidu Sanusi.

Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion are interested in Super Eagles’ left back following his title-winning campaign with Porto this season, while he is already closely watched by another English Premier League side, Fulham, with reports suggesting the Cottagers have had an initial bid rejected for the 25-year-old.

Brighton are targeting the left-back as a replacement for Marc Cucurella should the Spaniard leave the club this summer.

Cucurella has been strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions, Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola having identified the 23-year-old as one of his primary targets.

According to the Daily Star, Brighton have identified Sanusi, who is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, as their preferred left-back target should they need to replace Cucurella this summer.They could however face competition from Crystal Palace and Fulham for the 10-cap Nigerian international, who will allegedly only consider leaving Porto if he is guaranteed regular first-team football.

Sanusi, 25, scored three goals in 40 appearances for the Portuguese giants across all competitions in the 2021-22 campaign, and he has three years remaining on his contract.

Porto are not particularly keen on selling the former Santa Clara defender, and any interested club may have to activate the release clause in his contract to complete the deal.

Sanusi has a release clause valued at around 50 million euros.

Meanwhile, Everton are looking to swoop in on Sanusi. The Toffees had a terrible campaign last season and were just a hair-length away from relegation. However, they would be looking to improve next season. As such, Everton boss Frank Lampard could add some good flesh to his team.

Everton have therefore identified Sanusi as a good addition, and are interested in procuring the Nigeria international’s services.

The full-back was part of the Nigerian national team that won their two Group A matches against Sierra-Leone and Sao Tome & Principe as they battle for the qualifying ticket to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The powerful and pacy left-back cited Real Madrid star of Nigerian descent, David Alaba as the fullback he looks up to and admitted that Super Eagles legend, Taye Taiwo has also influenced his style of play.

“The left-back I look up to in the world is David Alaba of Real Madrid, many people say that I play like Alaba but I want to be myself, I like him so much.

“Alaba can defend and attack and I’m like him. It’s very difficult for a left-back to attack and defend but Alaba does that very well.

“Many years ago, I used to watch Taye Taiwo, sometimes I search for him on YouTube to see how he plays,” Sanusi added.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese scout who discovered Sanusi and took him to Gil Vincente has said he will be a fulfilled man when the defender was first called up to the Super Eagles.

And Portuguese scout Alberto Silva said that call-up would make him completely fulfilled.

“I’m very happy for him for signing for Porto, he’s a kid with an easy smile,” Silva told A Bola.

The scout recalled his impressions of Zaidu when he first spotted him at a scouting tournament in Kaduna.

“He was a true diamond, technically gifted and physically very strong,” he remarked.

“He loved to join the attack. It was a dream, and we decided to bring him to Portugal because he has incredible ability.”

However, the plan to take the boy from rural Jega in Kebbi State to the top of football in Portugal almost derailed when he suffered an injury at his first club Gil Vicente and he was out for nine months.

“He was injured and went through a lot,” he recounted. “I remember hanging out with him a lot in the first few days, driving him in my car and he was always sad about the injury.

“He ended up at Mirandela (division 4) and today he is at Porto.

“His ambition always was to play for a big club and he always talked a lot about FC Porto. He kept saying he was going to be like Marcelo of Real Madrid.”

The defender signed a five-year deal with the Blue and Whites which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

“I am extremely happy to play for FC Porto. I can’t explain it, but I am thrilled to wear this shirt,” Sanusi had told the club website.

The left-back started his exploits in the country in 2016 when he teamed up with Gil Vicente, but did not make a single appearance for the club before he was sent on loan to Mirandela.

Sanusi impressed on loan to earn a permanent deal with Mirandela in 2018 and featured 74 times for the club during his two-year stay.

The defender then teamed up with Santa Clara in 2019 and made 24 league appearances for the Estadio de Sao Miguel outfit before his departure.