Lion City Sailors sign former Liverpool academy player Bobby Adekanye
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Bobby Adekanye’s ability to beat opponents one-on-one adds another dimension to the Lion City Sailors’ attack, says their director of football Luka Lalic.
PHOTO: LION CITY SAILORS
- Lion City Sailors signed Bobby Adekanye, a 27-year-old forward with experience in Serie A, La Liga, and youth systems of Liverpool, Ajax, and Barcelona, on a two-year contract.
- Adekanye aims to help the Sailors challenge for trophies with his pace, flair, and direct playing style, impressed by the club's vision and ambitions.
- The club also signed other key players and plans to compete strongly in the upcoming Singapore Premier League, AFC Champions League Two, and ASEAN Club Championship.
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Not content with a host of signings for the 2026-27 season, the Lion City Sailors have boosted their firepower with the capture of former Liverpool academy player Bobby Adekanye.
The 27-year-old forward, who played in the Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga and Europa League, has joined them on a two-year contract, the Singapore Premier League champions announced on Aug 6.
Adekanye, who can operate as a winger or second striker, adds pace and flair to a front line that has already been augmented by the recent signing of Singapore international Ilhan Fandi, and former French Ligue 1 forwards Antonio Mance and Matthias Phaeton.
Adekanye, who came up through the youth systems of Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona and Liverpool, had regularly featured for the Reds at Under-18 and U-23 levels in competitions such as the UEFA Youth League and Premier League 2.
He went on to play for various clubs in Europe, including Italian side Lazio, Spanish outfit Cadiz CF and Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles.
The Nigeria-born attacker, who represented the Netherlands up to U-20 level, arrives in Singapore after spending the past 1½ seasons in Turkey, and is looking forward to embracing a new challenge in Asia.
“Honestly, I didn’t know too much about Singapore before this, but after speaking to the club and learning about its vision and ambitions, it immediately felt like the right place for me,” said Adekanye, who also received offers from clubs in Asia and Europe, including the Netherlands.
“The club was very sincere about bringing me over, and the project they presented was very exciting. I’ve had many interesting experiences throughout my career, and I hope to draw on them to help this team challenge for every trophy and become one of the top clubs in the region.
“I’m a direct player who tries to bring joy to the fans through my style of play, and I can’t wait to show that on the pitch for the Sailors.”
Sailors’ director of football Luka Lalic hailed Adekanye’s excellent technical quality and valuable European experience, adding that his “unpredictability and ability to beat opponents one-on-one will give us something different in attack”.
“At 27, he is at an excellent age where he combines maturity and experience with hunger and ambition, and we believe he will make a strong impact on the team,” said Lalic.
Earlier in the week, the Sailors had also announced the signing of former French Ligue 2 midfielder Giovanni Haag.
They have also signed three other Lions in fullback Ryhan Stewart, wingers Farhan Zulkifli and Glenn Kweh alongside Brazilian defender Hugo Gomes, who won the 2025-26 V.League 1 title with Cong An Ha Noi.
Several of these new Sailors could be in action when they face Tampines Rovers in the Community Shield on Sept 6 in a curtain-raiser to the SPL season which kicks off on Sept 11.
The Sailors will also be aiming to do better in the AFC Champions League Two and ASEAN Club Championship in the coming season.
