Striker claims he rejected Aston Villa transfer interest in January for simple reason
Teenager Kparobo Arierhi has claimed that he commanded interest from Aston Villa in the January transfer window - but he chose to make the move to Norwegian outfit Lillestrom instead because he saw a clearer pathway to the first-team.
Arierhi was spotted playing while spending time at the Beyond Limits Football Academy in his native Nigeria, and there was supposedly interest from Villa, Lillestrom and Ligue 1 side Lyon. The 18-year-old, who helped Nigeria win the West African Football Union U20 Championship in November, says he had a decision to make in the window.
“I wanted the opportunity to play in the first team. That’s why I chose to sign with Lillestrom, despite interest from Aston Villa and Lyon,” he told Africa Foot, via Sport Witness. “Signing my first professional contract with Lillestrom is an incredible feeling, I’m making my dream come true. My goal is to establish myself in the first team, score a lot of goals and help the team win matches.”
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Former Nigerian centre forward Victor Ikpeba, who played for Monaco and Borussia Dortmund, hailed Arierhi as a big talent: “We first saw him at my 5-a-side tournament in Warri and he has been growing ever since. At Beyond Limits Academy he is in the best environment to get to the next level. He’s a young lad and it’s still early days, he is a big talent and I hope he fulfils his potential.”
Villa, of course, made moves to sign first-team stars Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Andres Garcia, Axel Disasi and Donyell Malen in the winter window, while they also reportedly struck a deal with Turkish side Kasimpasa for defender Yasin Ozcan, who'll link up with the squad in the summer.
