1.FC Union Berlin of Germany striker, Taiwo Awoniyi has received good news that he could be heading back to action in the German Bundesliga on May 8, following another long bout with injury, megasportsarena.com reports.
The 23-year-old striker, who survived an on-field brush with death in 2020, got yet another blight to his sparkling days at the Berlin-based club early this year, but he now appears on his way back.
This is sequel to a report out of Deutschland that indicated how the former youth international, who is on loan from Liverpool of England, is set to resume full training in the coming days and may be in the club’s matchday squad against VfL Wolfsburg on May 8.
This comes at a point additional reports indicated that Union Berlin will hold transfer talks with Liverpool over the possibility of a full transfer for Awoniyi, whose long term contract with The Reds is due to expire in the summer of 2023.
The UEA 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup winner has been loaned out by Liverpool to six different clubs – NEC Nijmegen of Holland, Royal Excel Mouscron and KAA Gent of Belgium as well as FSV Frankfurt, SV Mainz and Union Berlin of Germany – since his arrival at Anfield in 2015.
Awoniyi’s inability to tie down a stay on Merseyside has been mostly due to a work permit rules, rising from his continued shut-out in the Nigerian national team, but his recent burst of form provided hints of a call-up by Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr earlier this year, until the injury set in.
However, Berlin-based German newspaper, BZ has now disclosed that top shots at his current club are interested in signing Awoniyi this summer, for which talks with Liverpool will hold after the last kick of this season, as he has scored five goals and provided three others in 19 league games.
Reports emerged on February 22 that Awoniyi went through medical tests and it was discovered that he has a muscle injury to the left rear thigh, following which the Berlin-based club’s coach, Urs Fischer rued that he has not been able to use the player because of the injury he copped during a goalless draw with Schalke 04.
That stalled what was fast turning into Awoniyi’s most productive campaign since signing for Liverpool, with stunners coming against Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart to show, thereby shoring up his market value to a large extent, amidst transfer interest from the Glasgow-based Scottish Premiership duo of Celtic and Rangers.
Consequently, with Union Berlin pushing hard for a top-four finish in Der Bundesliga, Awoniyi’s long-term future has come into question, but the under-23 national team, Olympic Eagles’ former hitman stressed that he remains intent on securing a long-term future at Anfield.
Awoniyi said: “Liverpool will always be the priority for me and I am grateful to everyone at the club. I still don’t have the work permit to play in England.
“But with the new rules in place, and the minutes I have played in Germany this season, no one knows what the future will hold regarding the UK work permit. If I become eligible to play in the UK, I think I can have a say on what my decision will be.
“Things have changed remarkably with the new rules and this will certainly help me decide my next step. Liverpool is a very special club. They are always in contact to see how I am doing and to ensure I know that they are following my progress out here.
“It motivates me to know my parent club is following up and have my best interests at heart. Presently, I am still a Liverpool player until the last day of my contract, but no one knows what the future holds.
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League and it’s why I signed for Liverpool. I still keep the dream alive but if leaving will facilitate it, why not? At the moment, it is impossible to say what might happen in the future.”
