Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu is on the verge of making history as he heads into Trabzonspor’s final Turkish Süper Lig match of the season against Gençlerbirliği on Sunday.
The Nigerian forward currently leads the league’s scoring chart with 22 goals in 33 appearances, putting him in strong position to win the Turkish Super Lig Golden Boot.
Onuachu is just one goal ahead of closest challenger Eldor Shomurodov of Istanbul Başakşehir going into the final round of fixtures.
If he finishes as the league’s top scorer, the Super Eagles star will become the first Nigerian player to win the Super Lig Golden Boot while representing Trabzonspor.
He would also join a select group of Trabzonspor legends who previously ended a season as the league’s leading scorer, including Necmi Perekli, Hami Mandıralı, Fatih Tekke, Burak Yılmaz and Alexander Sörloth.
Interestingly, Fatih Tekke, one of the club’s former Golden Boot winners, is now Onuachu’s manager at Trabzonspor.
The Nigerian striker has enjoyed an outstanding season in Turkey, scoring in 10 consecutive league matches earlier in the campaign — a feat no Trabzonspor player had achieved in over three decades.
His 22 goals account for a significant portion of Trabzonspor’s total league goals this season, underlining his importance to the team.
Onuachu is also close to breaking the club’s long-standing single-season scoring record of 25 league goals set by Shota Arveladze during the 1995/96 campaign.
Several Nigerian stars have previously played for Trabzonspor, including John Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi, Anthony Nwakaeme and the late Isaac Promise.
However, none managed to finish as the league’s top scorer during their time at the club.
Sunday’s match carries major importance for both teams, as Gençlerbirliği are still battling relegation and need a positive result to secure their place in the Turkish top flight.
Trabzonspor, meanwhile, have already secured third place and qualification for European competition next season.
The club is also preparing for the Turkish Cup final against Konyaspor, which could influence squad rotation decisions by manager Fatih Tekke.
Meanwhile, Onuachu’s impressive performances have attracted growing transfer interest ahead of the summer window.
Reports in Turkey claim rivals Fenerbahçe are considering a move for the striker and could submit a bid worth around €10m alongside two Turkish international players.
Trabzonspor, however, are reportedly unwilling to let the Nigerian leave cheaply after signing him permanently from Southampton last summer, with the club said to value him at around €15m.
Any potential move to fierce rivals Fenerbahçe could also trigger backlash from Trabzonspor supporters due to the intense rivalry between both clubs.
