After a summer-long search, Milan has made their choice: Victor Boniface will be the new forward available to Massimiliano Allegri. The Nigerian, born in 2000, arrives from Bayer Leverkusen after two uneven seasons: a decisive hero in the year of their historic title, then a secondary player with a few “headstrong moments” and too many injuries last season.
As the fans are waiting to see him in Italy, Milan have finalized a loan deal worth €5 million with a purchase option set at €24 million. Milannews.it discussed this exclusively with German journalist Jan Krebs (RTL Television).
What kind of player is Boniface? What are his strengths?
“He has the technical and physical qualities to succeed in Serie A. He started in Norway with Bodo/Glimt, then moved to Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise, and in 2023 he joined Bayer Leverkusen. He was a pleasant surprise, very strong. A very physical player, but also very technical. He’s a truly powerful and dominant athlete, with good technique and strong aerial ability. A classic center-forward, but still very skilled. He can score with both feet, knows how to play with the ball, finds space well, scores, and sets up teammates. Sometimes he drifts wide, but primarily he’s a central striker who can use his physical power in the box. He’s also useful in high pressing. When Bayer Leverkusen won their first historic title, he was one of the team’s main strengths alongside Xhaka and Wirtz. However, he has had his share of injuries, like last season: groin issues limited his time on the pitch. But when he’s fit, he’s a force to be reckoned with, if I were a defender, I wouldn’t want him in front of me.”
What is his character like? We’ve seen him argue on the pitch with Emiliano Buendia, and there were reports of him being on the phone while driving, not to mention a video posted after a traffic accident a few years ago…
“That was October 2024, but he wasn’t driving. He was with a friend. Boniface also posted a video showing the car destroyed. Fortunately, he wasn’t injured, though his hand was covered in blood in the video. I don’t know how to interpret that, but yes, he chose to show his bloody hand. A discreet person might not have posted that. Another time, he even made a middle-finger gesture toward opponents during a match against Stuttgart.”
Did these incidents strain his relationship with Xabi Alonso? And could Massimiliano Allegri be the right coach for Boniface?
“Let’s say last year he wasn’t entirely happy with the minutes he got. For example, in the penultimate home game, Leverkusen vs. Augsburg, he was on the bench warming up with other players. Xabi Alonso decided not to play him, and in anger, he didn’t return to the bench but went straight to the locker room. It was the end of the season, so it didn’t make much noise. He certainly has a unique character. From a football perspective, though, when healthy, he makes a difference. He’s a bit complex as a person: feeling the passion and love from the coach and fans matters to him. A coach like Allegri could suit him. Finding a positive environment is important. I was told in the locker room, he wants to be part of the group and joke around, he’s a sunny guy with a radiant smile, you can see it in his eyes. But sometimes, his character is special.”
Do you think betting on a player like him is risky for Milan? Krebs answered:
“He has huge potential despite these flaws. But I imagine a club like Milan does its homework before signing Boniface and finds out what kind of person he is. The football world can be a bit strange sometimes (laughs). I played amateur football, and when I hear about situations in Bundesliga locker rooms, I laugh because they’re the same things that happened in my small town. I believe Milan is well-informed, both on the sporting and personal side. He has the qualities to succeed in Serie A.”
