Tani Oluwaseyi has completed a record-breaking €8 million transfer from Minnesota United to Spanish side Villarreal, marking the largest sale in the MLS club's history. The Nigerian-born Canadian striker's move to LaLiga represents a significant milestone both for the player and "Minnesota United", cementing the club's growing reputation for player development.
"We are incredibly proud of Tani and what this move represents for him and for Minnesota United. This is a historic transfer for our club — one that firmly places us on the global stage," – said Khaled El-Ahmad, MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director.
The transfer had been anticipated for days, with Eric Ramsey, Minnesota's head coach, purposely leaving Oluwaseyi out of the starting lineup during their recent 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake City. "Obviously, it's fairly plain why Tani wasn't in the starting eleven tonight," Ramsey explained after the match. "I didn't want to take any risks, in that sense. It's obviously a pretty pivotal moment in his career."
Losing Oluwaseyi is undoubtedly a blow for the Loons. The physical, pacey forward has been instrumental in pushing Minnesota to second place in the Western Conference this season, contributing ten goals and eight assists in 24 MLS regular-season appearances. Not bad for a player who was drafted just three years ago.
Interestingly, Oluwaseyi's journey to European football has been anything but conventional. Selected 17th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft from St. John's University, the striker initially played for Minnesota's MLS NEXT PRO affiliate before being loaned to USL Championship side San Antonio FC. It was there that his career truly took off, scoring an impressive 16 goals and providing seven assists in just seven USL Championship appearances.
Minnesota United recognized his potential and integrated him into their first team last season, where he notched eight goals and five assists in 25 appearances. These performances caught the attention of Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch, who called him up to represent Canada, for whom he's now scored twice in 15 caps.
Beyond being Minnesota's record sale, Oluwaseyi now stands as the second most expensive Canadian player ever sold by an MLS club to a European team. The striker's rapid rise from college football to LaLiga in just over three years is remarkable. From Manhattan SC in USL League Two to facing off against Spanish giants like "Barcelona" and "Real Madrid" – who would have predicted such a trajectory?
Will Oluwaseyi continue his scoring form in one of Europe's top leagues? "Villarreal" fans will certainly hope so, while Minnesota supporters will be watching his progress with mixed emotions as they look to maintain their playoff push without their star forward.
