_-_Samu.jpg) Aghehowa playing forSpain U23 in the2024 Summer Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Omorodion Aghehowa[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2004-05-05)5 May 2004 (age 21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Melilla, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Porto | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sevilla | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Nervión | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Granada | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Granada B | 32 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Granada | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | →Alavés (loan) | 34 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Porto | 49 | (32) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Spain U19 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Spain U21 | 11 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Spain U23 | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Spain | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:20, 3 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:33, 18 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Samuel "Samu" Omorodion Aghehowa (born 5 May 2004) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forPrimeira Liga clubPorto and theSpain national team.
After coming throughGranada's youth academy, Aghehowa began playing for the club'sreserve team in 2022, being promoted to the first team in 2023. He subsequently signed withAtlético Madrid, being immediately loaned to La Liga clubAlavés. In August 2024, Aghehowa joined Porto for a transfer fee of €15 million.
Eligible to play for Nigeria, Aghehowa represented Spain at variousyouth international levels. He won a gold medal with theSpain under-23 team at the2024 Summer Olympics. He then made his senior international debut in 2024.
Born inMelilla to Nigerian parents,[2][3] Aghehowa moved toSeville at a young age.[2] After playing for local side AD Nervión in his hometown of Sevilla, he joinedGranada's youth setup in 2021.[4]
On 6 March 2022, Aghehowa made his senior debut for Granada's reserve team,Recreativo Granada, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–1league home loss toMarchamalo.[5] On 25 September, he scored his first senior goal, netting the B's equalizer in a 1–1 draw againstEl Ejido.[6]
On 20 April 2023, Aghehowa renewed his contract with theNazaríes until 2028.[3][7] Having scored 18 goals for Granada's B team throughout the 2022–23 season,[8] helping the B team reach theSegunda Federación promotion play-offs.[3][8]
Aghehowa made his first-team debut on 14 August 2023, starting and scoring in a 3–1 away loss againstAtlético Madrid.[9][10]
On 21 August, Aghehowa joined fellow top-tier side Atlético Madrid on a permanent deal, signing a five-year contract with the club, with Atlético triggering his €6 million release clause.[11][12]
Five days later, he was sent toDeportivo Alavés, also in the Spanish first division, on loan until the end ofthe season.[13][14] In the2023–24 season, he became the top scorer for his club in La Liga by scoring 8 goals, out of 9 in total having scored a goal with Granada.[15]
In July 2024,Chelsea negotiated with Atlético for the transfer of Aghehowa, offering a bid worth €40 million (£34 million), plus add-ons, but Atlético initially turned it down. He agreed personal terms with Chelsea, and both clubs agreed on a deal, but issues surrounding an ankle injury during the medical examination and image rights negotiations led to the transfer collapsing in early August.[16][17] Shortly thereafter, he was excluded from first-team training, with Atlético arranging a permanent transfer for him. Aghehowa later described the experience as a "very complicated summer".[18][19]
On 24 August 2024, Aghehowa joinedPrimeira Liga clubPorto from Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract and reported €100 million release clause. Porto paid Atlético Madrid €15 million for 50% of his rights and also reserved the option to buy 15% of his rights in 2025 and 2026 for €5 million each year.[20]
He made his competitive debut for his new club in the torivals 2–0 loss toSporting CP in thePrimeira Liga on 31 August,[21] and scored his first goal on 15 September, netting the winner in a 2–1 win againstFarense.[22] In his next league match, on 21 September, Aghehowa scored a brace in a 3–0 victory overVitória de Guimarães atEstádio D. Afonso Henriques.[23] Four days later, he made his debut inEuropean competitions, starting and scoring in a 3–2 loss away atBodø/Glimt, during the inaugural matchday of the newly formattedUEFA Europa Leagueleague stage;[24] followed by two goals in a 3–3 home draw withManchester United on 3 October atEstádio do Dragão.[25] On 28 October, he scored ahat-trick in a 5–0 victory away againstAVS in the Primeira Liga.[26]
On 10 November, Aghehowa scored the lone goal for Porto in a 4–1 away defeat to rivalsBenfica inO Clássico. This marked Porto's heaviest league loss to their arch-rivals in 60 years, a result not seen since a 4–0 defeat in the 1964–65 season.[27] After scoring five goals in five matches and helping Porto in an unbeaten streak, he was named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month.[28][29] His performances throughout the season, led to Aghehowa achieved his most prolific campaign, scoring 25 goals, including 19 in the league, as Porto finished third-place in the Primeira Liga.[30]
On 5 May 2025, Porto triggered the €5 million clause to purchase a further 15% of Aghehowa's economic rights.[31] Two months later, Porto announced that the remaining 35% of his rights had been acquired for €12 million.[32] Totaling his cost at €32 million, Aghehowa became the most expensive signing ever made by a Portuguese club.[33]
Prior to receiving his first competitive cap for theSpain senior team in November 2024, Aghehowa was eligible to representNigeria through his parents birthplace, but he chose to represent Spain internationally.[34]
In April 2023, Aghehowa received his first call-up to theSpain under-19 national team.[3][35] In July of the same year, he took part in the2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship inMalta,[8][36] where theRojita lost to eventual championsItaly in the semi-finals.[37] He was a member ofSpain's national team for thefootball tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics, helping the team in their gold medal-winning run.[38]
Aghehowa received his first senior international call-up in November 2024 for a pair ofNations League fixtures againstDenmark andSwitzerland.[39] He made his debut against the latter on 18 November at theEstadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López inSanta Cruz de Tenerife, replacingÁlvaro Morata at half-time, as Spain won the match 3–2.[40]
Aghehowa has been described byThe Athletic as a "modern No 9" who is "tall, quick, and physically imposing"centre-forward.[41] He combines strength and aerial ability to create opportunities and threaten in the penalty area. His acceleration aids counterattacks, while his finishing shows promise with both feet and his head. He applies pressure effectively, disrupts opposition play, and contributes defensively with tracking and aerial support. His high work rate and direct approach enhance his impact in attack.[42][43][44]
According to former Atlético Madrid scout Javier Vidales, Aghehowa is "more than just a strong striker who holds up play and distributes the ball". He sees Aghehowa as playing the "role of two attackers: a target man who occupies defenders and a mobile forward who finds space. If defenders close down the spaces, he acts as a traditional No.9; if they block him, he adapts to exploit openings".[16]
Previously known as Samu Omorodion, Samu announced in November 2024 that he wanted to be known by his maternal surname, Aghehowa, to honour his mother.[45]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Recreativo Granada | 2021–22 | Segunda División RFEF | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Segunda Federación | 29 | 14 | — | — | — | 4[c] | 4 | 33 | 18 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 14 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 36 | 18 | |||||
| Granada | 2023–24 | La Liga | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Alavés (loan) | 2023–24 | La Liga | 34 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 8 | |||
| Porto | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9[d] | 6 | 3[e] | 2 | 45 | 27 |
| 2025–26 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7[d] | 3 | — | 31 | 20 | ||
| Total | 49 | 32 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 76 | 47 | ||
| Career total | 116 | 55 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 148 | 74 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Spain U23
Spain
Individual
