Ekong, a Super Eagles player, is interested in moving to Sweden after his loan spell

The future of 22-year-old striker Emmanuel Ekong is not certain at Italian Serie A club Empoli as he is interested in a permanent return to Sweden, where he began his career. Own goal Nigeria.com understands.

Ekong was on loan at Croatian side NK Istra and scored three goals and provided three assists. It was his second loan spell after a spell at Serie B side Perugia. He is now pushing to leave the Italian side permanently.

According to Sportbladet, the son of former Nigeria international Ikpe Ekong has informed the club that he wants to opt for a new challenge. He is also looking for a move to the Swedish Allsvenskan, with talks underway with a couple of unnamed clubs, Sportbladet has learned.

The 21-year-old’s contract with Empoli runs until the summer of 2027 and he also has two under-20 caps for Sweden under his belt but is still eligible for Nigeria’s senior squad.

Daniel Martins