Amid ongoing transfer rumours, Austrian Bundesliga side FC Red Bull Salzburg are keen to extend Nigerian midfielder Samson Tijani’s stay, hoping he will sign a new contract following the expiration of his current deal at the end of the 2024/2025 season, as Footy-Africa has exclusively learned.
The former Nigeria U-17 star, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Norwegian club Fredrikstad FK, became a free agent after his contract with Salzburg expired. This development has sparked widespread transfer speculation surrounding the 23-year-old midfielder.
According to an exclusive report, Tijani is attracting interest from several leagues across Europe, with clubs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE also monitoring the situation closely.
“Tijani’s contract has officially ended with Salzburg. He is a free player at the moment and has a plethora of opportunities to play in different leagues,” a source revealed. “Czech clubs are the latest to join the race to sign Samson Tijani, despite Red Bull Salzburg’s efforts to convince him to renew — which I don’t see happening.”
“There are great options to explore, and he’s keen on playing in another league outside the Austrian Bundesliga. Everything will become clear in the coming weeks.”
Born on May 17, 2002, Samson Tijani began his football journey at Collins Edwin Football Club in Lagos, Nigeria. His performances for the Nigeria U-17 national team in 2019 earned him a move to Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg.
Following a brief loan stint with Russian club FDC Vista, Tijani signed his first professional contract with Salzburg in 2020. Later that year, he joined TSV Hartberg on loan, making 18 appearances before returning to his parent club in 2021.
Without a clear path to first-team football at Salzburg, he spent the 2021 season on loan at FC Liefering, before securing another loan move to Wolfsberger AC in 2023.
After recovering from a serious injury that sidelined him for a season, Tijani joined Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK towards the end of the Eliteserien season, making three appearances.
