Genoa have completed the signing of Nigeria eligible defender Kingsley Ehizibue on a free transfer following his departure from Udinese.
The Serie A club confirmed the arrival of the experienced right back as part of their preparations for the 2026/27 campaign.
Ehizibue, 31, has signed a multi year contract with Genoa after successfully completing his medical. The move represents a return to Serie A for the defender after four seasons with Udinese.
The German born defender became a free agent in July after failing to reach an agreement with Udinese over a contract extension.
He leaves the club after making more than 100 appearances across all competitions during his four year spell. In his final season, Ehizibue made 32 appearances and scored twice in Serie A.
His performances during the 2025/26 campaign helped maintain his reputation as a dependable option on the right side of defence, while his experience proved valuable to Udinese throughout the season.
Genoa have now moved quickly to secure his services without paying a transfer fee.
The transfer also gives Ehizibue another opportunity to remain in one of Europe’s top five leagues. Before joining Udinese in 2022, he spent three seasons with German club FC Köln after developing his career in the Netherlands with PEC Zwolle.
Across his career, the defender has gained extensive experience in the Eredivisie, Bundesliga and Serie A.
Ehizibue was born in Munich to Nigerian parents and moved to the Netherlands at the age of two. He represented the Netherlands at Under 21 level but has never made a senior international appearance.
That means he remains eligible to represent Nigeria at senior level.
The defender received his first Super Eagles invitation in 2020 under former coach Gernot Rohr for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone. However, the matches were postponed during the COVID 19 pandemic and he never made his international debut.
Despite his previous involvement with the Netherlands youth setup, Ehizibue’s international future with Nigeria remains possible under FIFA eligibility rules.
His move to Genoa could therefore provide another opportunity to remain on the radar of the Super Eagles, particularly if he can continue performing regularly in Serie A.
For Genoa, the signing adds experience to their defensive options and gives the club a player who already understands the demands of Italian top flight football.
Ehizibue will now begin a new chapter at Genoa, hoping to make an immediate impact and help the club achieve its objectives during the 2026/27 Serie A season.
