Footy-Africa can exclusively report that Nigerian teenager Favour Bamidele attracted interest from Portuguese giants Benfica after travelling to Europe for trials, with the striker now undergoing an assessment at Swedish club Kalmar FF.
The 17-year-old, who was born in 2009, currently plays for Inspire Football Academy in Nigeria.
Bamidele is spending two weeks with Kalmar FF, initially training with the club’s P19 side before joining the first team for the second week.
Kalmar FF sporting director described the forward as an “exciting striker” and said the club wanted to assess him more closely in its environment.
But Footy-Africa understands that Kalmar are not the only European club to have shown an interest in the teenager.
A source within Inspire Football Academy told Footy-Africa that Bamidele previously travelled to Portugal and had a trial with Benfica.
The source stressed that nothing has been decided regarding the player’s future, with Bamidele’s current trial in Sweden expected to provide more clarity in the coming days.
Nigerian teenager Favour Bamidele on trial at Kalmar FF ahead of possible transfer
There is also a rumour of Belgian club monitoring his progress.
Bamidele’s opportunity at Kalmar will allow him to train in both youth and senior environments and give the Swedish club the chance to assess his potential.
For the Nigerian forward, the trials represent an important stage in his development as he looks to make the transition from academy football in Nigeria to the European game.
With interest from clubs in both Portugal and Sweden, Bamidele’s next move is likely to become clearer after his latest assessment at Kalmar FF.
Footy-Africa understands that no agreement has yet been reached with either Benfica or Kalmar FF.
