Raphael Ayagwa will continue his development with Norwegian side Lillestrøm SK.
Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Ayagwa has joined Norwegian Eliteserien top side Lillestrøm SK from Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) side Plateau United.
The 20-year-old was brought in as a summer reinforcement for a fee in the region of $ 100,000.
General Manager of Lillestrøm SK, Robert Lauritsen was delighted with the acquisition of the midfielder whom he hailed his potential in a message on the club’s official website.
The message said,"We are extremely grateful for all the contributions that have been received during this campaign. They have been absolutely crucial because we have managed to strengthen the team this summer.
“I would also like to send a big thank you to the supporters who helped to help us with transitional and labor costs so that we secured Raphael Ayagwa."
The deal to bring Ayagwa to the Norwegian top flight was finally sealed on Wednesday, August 15 as he finally signed a deal after the negotiation process.
Ayagwa will be with the Norwegian side until 2022, confirmed by Sports Manager of Lillestrøm SK Simon Mesfin.
He said, "We have been following Raphael for a long time and believe he is the natural replacement to Ifeanyi Mathew - which is likely to be sold at some point. Thanks to the help of good LSK friends, we were given the opportunity to pick him up now.
“It will make sure he has time to acclimatize before filling the shoes of Mathew. At the same time, he is a slightly different player type, which I think the Åråsen audience will appreciate.”
Ayagwa also stated that he is looking forward to a successful time at the Norwegian side.
He said, "It feels good to be here and the club feels like a big family. I had to wait for a little for my visa in Nigeria, but now I'm finally here. And everything works very well. Mathew came to the hotel and welcomed me today early. I really appreciated that.”
Ayagwa was part of the team that won the NPFL title with Plateau United last season but failed to progress to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, he has featured for the home-based Super Eagles side.