Football: "Clowns everywhere" - Victor Boniface blasts AC Milan after transfer move collapses
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
AC Milan transfer scrapped after Boniface fails medical test
Victor Boniface looked set to be the face of Bayer Leverkusen a couple of years ago when he joined the side, then led by Xabi Alonso, and helped them lift their first Bundesliga title, win the DFB-Pokal and finish as runner-up in the Europa League.
The 24-year-old netted 21 goals in 34 games in his debut season in Germany, but injuries sustained in previous years resurfaced last term, forcing Boniface to miss 14 games in total, though he did still manage to record 11 goals and an assist.
This summer, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed that AC Milan were interested in signing the Nigerian international and had agreed personal terms on a loan for around €5 initially, while adding a buy clause worth €24m.
Boniface was invited to Milan to complete his medical assessments last week, but after two days of tests, the Rossoneri pulled out of the move, citing concerns over the striker's past knee ligament injuries.
With the Super Eagles attacker now off the table, the Serie A giants have already moved on to new targets, with reports this week suggesting they have approached Conrad Harder of Sporting Lisbon and Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.
Boniface reveals frustration over AC Milan transfer saga
Boniface returned to the BayArena after his move to Italy collapsed, and within hours, he took to social media to vent his frustrations over the entire transfer saga, while also sharing some choice words about the Rossoneri. He wrote:
“I’m at club like Bayer Leverkusen, Milan want me and people say I’m not serious. If I was serious, I’d be playing for club on planet Jupiter. If this's what being unserious looks like then leave me like this. I’ll keep scoring. Clowns everywhere.”
The striker’s post received mixed responses, with some fans supporting him, while others labelled the 24-year-old as the architect of his own downfall and agreed that he is not serious about his profession.
Boniface has since doubled down in a formal interview, explaining that the reason the move broke down was due to persistent knee issues, while also revealing that at one point, he had given up and no longer wanted to play.
Simon Rolfes, the sporting director of Bayer Leverkusen, mentioned this week that Boniface’s return to the BayArena means that a deal between Milan and the Nigerian international is over. The striker has yet to feature for Die Werkself this season.
