Trabzonspor says no to Fulham's €20m bid for Nwaiwu

Turkish team Trabzonspor has turned down an initial €20m offer from Premier League club Fulham for Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

Nwaiwu joined Trabzonspor in January after moving from Austrian club Wolfsberger AC. The former Enyimba player has quickly gained attention as one of the top young defenders in Turkey. His solid performances in the Turkish Süper Lig have attracted interest from clubs in Germany and France.

Fulham seems to be the frontrunner in the race to sign him. They recently made a €20m bid for Nwaiwu, but Trabzonspor rejected it immediately.

The Turkish club has set a €40m price tag for the 22-year-old defender. This means Fulham would likely need to double their offer for Trabzonspor to think about selling him.

A report from Turkish outlet FotoMac indicates that Trabzonspor is also hesitant to break up their squad.

"Trabzonspor was in the championship race until the last weeks of the 2025/26 season. They are looking to strengthen their team for the new season. The burgundy-blue team is planning to compete for the title and wants to keep its key players," FotoMac stated.

The report also mentioned that Fulham is still interested in signing Nwaiwu.

"Fulham is preparing to offer more than €20m for the 22-year-old player, who received a lot of praise for his performances last season. They will reach out to the club again soon.

The English media has been covering Fulham's interest in Chibuike, but the exact amount of the new offer is not clear."

After he joined Trabzonspor for €5.5m in January, Nwaiwu had a strong start in Turkey. He made valuable contributions on both defense and offense. Even as a central defender, he managed to score three goals and provided one assist in just half a season.

At Trabzonspor, he plays alongside fellow Nigerian Paul Onuachu. If he moves to Fulham, he could team up with compatriots Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, possibly creating an all-Nigerian central defense with Bassey.