Real Sociedad’s accountants are looking at the numbers these days and purring with joy. The Basque club has pulled off a magnificent manoeuvre – they offloaded Alexander Isak for $77 million and found a replacement in Umar Sadiq from Almeria for around $25 million.Umar Sadiq to Real Sociedad, deal done for around €20m — he will travel soon for medical tests. ⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/pbJYvXCbKU— All Sportz (@Allsportztv) August 30, 2022 Isak joined Newcastle United last week and left the San Sebastian club without their primary source of goals. They found a solution in Almeria’s 25-year-old Nigerian Sadiq, who himself was previously linked with potential moves to Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund.Almeria were all but sure that they were going to sell the lanky Nigerian, who has previously played for Partizan in Serbia, Roma in Italy and Rangers in Scotland. Earlier this month, their CEO Mohamed El Assy told reporters that the club wasn’t going to field Sadiq in friendly games because of the risk of injuries.”Umar Sadiq has not travelled to England to face Al-Hilal because we want to avoid any type of injury that could stop a transfer that is close at this time. He will be sold for a little less than $30 million.”He was absolutely correct.##NAJAVA_MECA_6606661##It has to be said that, although the last two years have gone well for Sadiq, football has not always been kind to the Nigerian. His beginnings were not easy in Kaduna, a town in northern Nigeria, where he was born. However, in 2013, at the age of 16, he played in a youth tournament in Croatia and his team, Kusa Boys, became champions. The opportunity to play in Europe was offered to him by Spezia’s youth team until Roma secured his loan with an option to buy for $2.5 million. However, he never got close to playing for the Giallorossi’s first team. Instead, he had spells with Bologna, Torino and NAC Breda, before arriving at Rangers, then coached by the legendary Steven Gerrard. It was undoubtedly the worst period of his career.Umar Sadiq playing for Partizan against Manchester United in 2019 (©AFP)Sadiq stated in an interview that Gerrard “humiliated” him, forcing him to change “with the kids”. But a year spent in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade revived his career and secured him a $2.5 move to Almeria in early 2020. Just two years later, Almeria made a huge profit on him.The seven-times capped striker scored two goals in three games for newly-promoted Almeria, building upon the 18 goals and 12 assists he contributed last season as La Union won promotion from the Segunda Division. He could prove an inspired capture if he can carry on his form across the season.
