- 4 hours ago
Who is Aneke Atta? The super-agent who represents Premier League-linked stars Bonfiace and Nusa
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 19 Apr 2024 10:46 BST
- 6 min read
Emefie Aneke Atta has utilised the emerging Eliteserien to great effect.
The agent has channelled his clients to Norway’s league, allowing them to get game-time and much-needed on-pitch experience, before they make their big-money move to Europe’s top clubs.
In a past interview, Atta mentioned to ScoreNigeria some examples of Nigerian players who moved to Norway to develop and ended up in their national side, the Super Eagles.
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“John Obi Mikel, Chinedu Obasi, Odion Ighalo, Anthony Ujah, Nosa Igiebor, Aaron Samuel, Fegor Ogude, all of them eventually ended up playing for Nigeria. So, Norway as a starting point, I believe is the best in the world,” he said.
“There is nothing like racism in the league, Nigeria players are well respected - when you come, you don’t start in an academy, you actually go straight to the main team, you play games and in every game, there are between five and 10 scouts from different clubs in Germany and all these leagues, that’s where they love picking players from.”
But just who is Atta and what do we know about his agency?
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What is Aneke Atta’s agency?
Atta is the CEO of Aneke/Players Management Group. The agency's clients boasts a collective valuation of €175.1 million.
What players does Aneke Atta represent?
Atta’s agency has notable names such as Victor Boniface Antonio Nusa, Jude Odion Ighalo, Gift Orban, and, Akor Adams among it. The firm is based in Olso but has clients playing for clubs worldwide.
How good is Aneke Atta?
Atta has a strong eye for young talent in Africa, with several of his clients being Nigerian. There is not a huge amount written on the agent’s past - but we know he is based in Norway and has some incredible links to elite clubs.
One of the most notable deals that Atta brokered was arguably when he oversaw Ighalo’s loan move to Manchester United from Shanghai Shenhua. The striker said at the time that he even took a pay-cut to see the ‘dream’ move to his boyhood club realised.
How did Aneke Atta get started?
Despite the lack of detail surrounding Atta’s beginnings, he had sat down with Nigeria’s National Daily Newspaper a few years back to talk about the future of his agency and how he operates. The interview gives fascinating insight into his work ethic and what he believes is the most efficient way to work, with his clients’ interests very much at the forefront of his mind.
“The focus has been on talent, discipline and hard work,” he said. “A lot of players have the talent and probably love the money that comes with the game, but lack the discipline and determination to take their career to the next level.
STATS
Victor Boniface
F (CRL)
Bayer 04
Victor Boniface
F (CRL)
Bayer 04
“The landmark success for us has been the ability to consistently discover and transform young talents into professionals doing well in their respective clubs over a short period. The greatest challenge is in spotting the next talent. It has become increasingly difficult to get top-quality players. A decade ago you could just take a stroll to the next street and find something interesting. Today you need a lot of scouting, traveling and patience to spot talents.
“It gives us joy to be able to spot raw talents and project them to teams as they become something great in future. I think there is some satisfaction that comes from that but I want people to be the ones to decide on what we have achieved and not us.
