Following a challenging stint in England last season, Nigerian forward Paul Onuachu has fully recaptured his impressive goalscoring touch in Turkey.
The lanky striker for Trabzonspor is currently the top scorer among all his countrymen playing across European leagues this term.
Onuachu Claims Top Spot Among Strikers
Unlike some Nigerian forwards who have faced a slow start in Europe this season, Onuachu is enjoying prolific form.
The Trabzonspor player leads all Nigerian players with a total of seven goals. He is closely followed by Victor Osimhen, who has netted six goals for Galatasaray in all competitions this season.
- Turkish Super Lig Leader: Onuachu is the outright leading scorer in the Turkish topflight after ten games.
- Top Competitors: He is closely pursued by several key rivals, including Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce), and Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray), each of whom has six goals.
Individual Honors and Goal Contention
Onuachu’s remarkable performance this season has earned him significant individual recognition. He has already won the league’s prestigious Goal of the Month award twice for both August and September.
His spectacular acrobatic goal scored in Trabzonspor’s 4-2 victory against Fatih Karagümrük on match-day seven was chosen as the best for September.
That unforgettable strike is now widely considered a major contender for the overall Goal of the Season award. Trabzonspor recently presented Onuachu with a commemorative plaque featuring an image of the award-winning goal to celebrate the achievement.
Consistent Form Revives Career
The 31-year-old was on a strong four-game scoring streak before being held scoreless in a recent 2-0 win over Eyüpspor. In that period, he recorded five goals and one assist. He started his season strongly with goals against both Kocaelispor and Samsunspor in August.
His closest Nigerian rival, Osimhen, has seen his scoring rhythm slightly disrupted by injury and transfer speculation. Notably, Onuachu has scored all seven of his goals in the league, while Osimhen’s six goals are split evenly: three in the league and three in the Champions League.
Other Nigerian goal poachers who have had slower starts include:
- Tolu Arokodare: He has scored only one goal across seven appearances for his club.
- Ademola Lookman: The reigning African Player of the Year recently scored his first goal of the season after his start was delayed until mid-September due to a transfer dispute.
Turkey Provides Career Boost
A permanent move to Trabzonspor this past summer has clearly helped revive Onuachu’s career momentum. His transition follows a frustrating spell at Southampton, where he managed only four goals and one assist across 25 English Premier League games last season.
He had previously enjoyed a highly successful six-month loan stint with the club in the 2023/24 season. During that period, he netted 15 league goals and registered four assists in just 21 games.
This exceptional performance fueled Trabzonspor’s two-summer effort to secure his permanent transfer.
Although his national team career has been less illustrious, Onuachu boasts outstanding club statistics. Over a career spanning more than ten years across multiple European leagues he has amassed 193 goals and 27 assists in 389 games.
Having previously won the prestigious Belgium Jupiler Pro League Golden Shoe, he is now positioning himself to compete for a top scoring honor in Turkey this term.
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