Dynamo sign Nigerian forward Ibrahim Aliyu
(image via Igor Kralj/PIXSELL)
The Houston Dynamo have announced the signing of Nigerian forward Ibrahim Aliyu from NK Lokomotiva in Croatia. The 21-year-old Nigerian youth international joins via the league’s U-22 initiative. He has signed a three-year contract through 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027. Under this initiative, Aliyu will have a salary charge of just $200,000. Aliyu can remain as a U-22 player through the year he turns 25. Manuel Veth of Transfermarkt reported the transfer fee is 2.1 million Euros.
Aliyu has six goals and two assists in 27 appearances for NK Lokomotiva this season. He has 17 goals in 84 appearances in his career for the club. Aliyu can play as a center forward or on either wing. Aliyu scored a bicycle kick goal for Lokomotiva earlier this month.
"Ibrahim is a talented young player who provides another dynamic option to our attack,” Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad said. “He is a Nigerian youth international capable of playing as a wide attacking midfielder or striker, and his analytic profile provided by SRC FTBL stood out when reviewing options to bolster our offense. We welcome Ibrahim to our city and look forward to seeing him on the field at Shell Energy Stadium this season.”
Aliyu is the 16th player added to the Dynamo roster in this transfer window, which ended at midnight this morning. “We have had an incredibly busy offseason, making a number of additions to our roster and staff, and the addition of a versatile YPS attacker was the last remaining item on our checklist for this transfer window,” said Onstad. “We are grateful to Ted Segal for continuing to provide us with resources to build a competitive team as we aim to return to the MLS playoffs and make the city of Houston proud.”
Aliyu will slot into the Dynamo front three that has now become a crowded group with the likes of Corey Baird, Ivan Franco, Thor Ulfarsson, Sebas Ferreira, Amine Bassi, and occasionally Brooklyn Raines. It remains to be seen if Ferreira is on the way out but Aliyu looks to give Houston another creative option in the attack, with the work rate that head coach Ben Olsen wants from his players.
