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SUPER Eagles leftback Jamilu Collins could be on his way to the English Premier League next season as several clubsides including Fulham and Newcastle United have begun making enquiries about his availability.
Collins, 25, is currently plying his trade with German Bundesliga side Paderborn but the club is threatened with relegation as it sits at the bottom of the table with just 16 points from 25 matches. With his side almost certain to drop into the second tier of German football at the end of the season, a scramble has begun for Collin’s services.
Several Bundesliga sides have already made enquiries about him, with the likes of Mainz 05, Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin all said to be interested. However, they will now face stiff competition from several English sides as Collins’ stock is on the rise, with him now being a fully fledged international who is currently valued at €3m.
Two years ago, Collins was playing in the third tier for Paderborn but the club earned back-to-back promotions and is now a Bundesliga team. Apart from being almost ever-present this season, Collins also has 13 international caps for Nigeria under his belt.
Collins is contracted to Paderborn until the end of the 2020/21 season and the Bundesliga club could cash in on the defender in the summer if he does not sign a new deal. Collins spent his early years with Abuja Football College Academy and was one of several players who moved from Abuja to the youth team of Croatian side Rijeka in 2012.
Newcastle are currently sitting 13th in the English Premier League and will need to strengthen their squad next season if they want to improve from being a mid table side. Fulham on the other hand are third in the English Championship behind Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion (WBA), with the three sides looking the best bets to get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season.
If Collins come to England next season, he will be surrounded by Super Eagles team mates Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City, Alex Iwobi of Everton and Semi Ajayi of WBA. Several other English clubs are also casting their eyes over the likes of Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Joe Aribo and Samuel Kalu.
