Crystal Palace have offered a trial to Nigerian teenage striker Adewusi Habeeb as the club considers a potential transfer. The 15-year-old, born in May 2009, is currently ineligible to sign a professional contract until he turns 16, but his performances have earned him a chance to train with the Eagles' youth setup. Prior to his move to the UK, Habeeb was the top scorer in the Nigerian U19 Youth League (South Western Region), finding the net 18 times for Shuffle Select, a Lagos-based academy. He has since joined Brooke House College Football Academy, an English institution known for developing talents like former Galatasaray forward Jesse Sekidika and ex-Rangers youth player Thompson Ishaka. Adewusi is described as physically strong in the box, technically sound, and capable of scoring with either foot, thanks to his powerful shot and excellent footwork. If he impresses during the trial period, Crystal Palace may secure his signature upon his 16th birthday. The club already hosts several players of Nigerian descent in its youth system, including Mofe Jemide, Asher Agbinone, Chuks Okoli, Oladotun Lamidi, and Jemiah Umolu. Victor Moses, a former Crystal Palace academy graduate, remains the most high-profile Nigerian to emerge from the club, having won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and represented Nigeria at two FIFA World Cups.
Adewusi Habeeb's trial comes before he is legally allowed to sign a contract, meaning Crystal Palace are assessing a player who cannot yet commit to them. This move suggests long-term planning, but also exposes the gamble of investing time in an unproven teenager still months from professional eligibility. If Habeeb impresses, his potential signing would continue a pattern of Crystal Palace integrating young Nigerian talent, following in the footsteps of Victor Moses. However, his current status means even a successful trial does not guarantee a contract.
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