Olabade Aluko Was Dropped From Nigeria U20 Squad Before Representing England — Now Leicester City Want To Keep Him

As Leicester City face life in League One following their relegation from the English Championship, several players at the club have attracted interest from other teams. Among the most sought-after is 19-year-old defender Olabade Aluko, whose path to the first team was shaped in part by a notable falling-out with the Nigeria U20 setup.

Aluko travelled to Abuja to compete for a place in the Nigeria U20 squad under coach Aliyu Zubairu ahead of their participation in the FIFA U20 World Cup, held in Chile. However, he was dropped from the camp under circumstances that, according to a source close to the defender, were never clearly explained.

“The body language was off from the start when he came to the camp. It started with he doesn’t have a Nigerian passport to he can’t cope with the intensity of the team. But I must state here that no one asked us for money,” the source told OwnGoalNigeria in an exclusive interview.

The source added: “He played for England U20 two months after leaving the camp of Nigeria and he has since made the breakthrough to the first team of Leicester City. I read that the coach is no longer there and I felt it was just the right thing to do.”

Aluko has made seven first-team appearances for Leicester City this season, five of which came in the English Championship, according to the same source. His emergence at club level has coincided with growing scrutiny over how the Nigeria U20 setup handled his recruitment, with Zubairu’s position as coach reportedly no longer tenable.

The defender’s decision to represent England U20 — two months after his exit from the Nigerian camp — effectively closed the door on any future international eligibility switch back to Nigeria at youth level, though players can still switch senior international allegiances under FIFA regulations, provided they have not represented a senior national team in a competitive fixture.

Leicester City’s relegation to League One at the end of the 2024–25 season has placed the club in a difficult position regarding player retention. The drop from the Championship to the third tier of English football typically triggers release clauses and contract renegotiations, making younger, homegrown talent particularly vulnerable to approaches from higher-division clubs. Aluko’s age and growing first-team experience make him a realistic target for Championship and potentially Premier League sides.

Nigeria’s U20 programme has faced recurring questions about its player identification and camp management processes. The country’s involvement in the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile represented a significant opportunity to showcase emerging talent, and the circumstances surrounding Aluko’s exclusion — as described by sources close to him — add to a broader conversation about the treatment of dual-eligible players in Nigerian youth football.