After a lost season on loan at Werder Bremen, Victor Boniface is rebuilding his fitness and form at Bayer Leverkusen — and the early signs are promising.
Victor Boniface is trying to find his way back. After a difficult year that saw the Nigerian striker’s value crash and his Bayer Leverkusen future genuinely in doubt, he was the first player back at the club’s training base this summer — and the early signs from pre-season suggest the comeback is real.
For a player who once looked like one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting forwards, that’s a big deal for Nigerian fans who watched his 2025/26 campaign unravel on loan at Werder Bremen.
Boniface’s spell at Bremen was, by most accounts, a disaster. Injury problems and a visible loss of match fitness limited his impact, and cryptic social media posts only added to the scrutiny around him. As a result, his estimated market value reportedly fell from around €40 million to closer to €5 million over roughly 15 months — a startling drop for a player Leverkusen signed for €20 million back in 2023.
Two potential exits collapsed this summer too. Reported interest from Al-Nassr and a possible loan to AC Milan both fell through, with concerns over his medicals and fitness status cited as factors. That left Boniface back at Leverkusen by default, with a five-year contract running until 2028 and a manager who now has to decide whether he still fits the plan.
So far, so good. Boniface reported early for pre-season training in July, working at Leverkusen’s facility around two weeks before the rest of the squad, and then scored twice in the club’s opening pre-season friendly, a 6-0 win over Sportfreunde Bamberg. He backed that up with another eye-catching display in a 3-1 win over Kickers Offenbach.
Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes was cautiously positive after the Bamberg game. “What we witnessed today is that he was able to make a few moves and even dribble again,” Rolfes said, as quoted by Kicker. “We didn’t see that last pre-season. These were things he simply couldn’t do last summer. We’re very satisfied with his physical condition.”
Rolfes was careful not to overstate things, though. “Of course, one can tell that some things are still missing. He’s in much better shape than he was last spring, but still has some steps to take,” he added. “His next objective must be fitness.”
New head coach Carles Martinez echoed that measured optimism. “It’s important for Boni to train with a group to improve physically,” he said. “He trained with us the entire week. Today he had the chance to play for 35 minutes, and that’s important. Both he and us know that he must improve.”
Boniface himself sounded relieved to simply be playing again. “I’m doing well,” he said. “Of course I’m glad to be training again, playing again, and doing what I love to do. It feels good to be back and to try to work hard for myself and see how things develop.”
Boniface’s return matters beyond Leverkusen. At his best, he’s one of the more dangerous Nigerian forwards playing in Europe, and a fit, in-form Boniface adds real depth to a Super Eagles squad already looking to rebuild after missing out on the World Cup. Nigerian fans have plenty of players to track across Europe this season, but few storylines carry as much redemption potential as this one.
Leverkusen open their 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign away at newly promoted SV Elversberg on 29 August. Whether Boniface starts that game — or features at all — will say a lot about how far his comeback has actually come. For now, the trend is pointing the right way.
For more on how Nigeria’s stars in Europe are shaping up this season, see our Super Eagles season review and our earlier player spotlight on Boniface.
Source: Get German Football News
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