It’s Official: Ilenikhena becomes seventh Nigerian player to join AS Monaco
Royal Antwerp striker George Ilenikhena has officially joined Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, becoming in the process the seventh Nigerian to pay for the club after Victor Ikpeba (1993-1999), Sani Kaita (2008-2009), Lukman Haruna (2009-2011), Rabiu Afolabi (2011-2012), Elderson Echiejile (2014-2016), and Henry Onyekuru (2019-2021).
He is AS Monaco’s first recruit this summer and arrived from reigning Belgian Pro League side, Royal Antwerp, where he had been playing since last season.
The left-footer will celebrate his 18th birthday on August 16 and has European experience having already played in the Champions League with the Belgian club.
He began his career in Amiens with the U17s and then the U19s, before joining the first team at only 16 years old. Ilenikhena played his first minutes in the Coupe de France in November 2022 and made a remarkable debut a few months later in the league with the Picardy club.
By scoring a goal against Bordeaux (1-1 on January 13, 2023), he became the youngest goal scorer in Ligue 2. His performances (17 matches, 2 goals in his first season) earned him a transfer in the summer of 2023 to Royal Antwerp, who had just been crowned champions and winners of the Belgium Cup.
