Peter Olayinka has found a new home after weeks of uncertainty, sealing a free transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Wehda on a two-year contract. The Nigerian forward’s move ends a short spell in Cyprus and opens a fresh chapter in a career that has already taken him through five different countries.
Olayinka arrives at Al Wehda as a free agent following his exit from Cypriot club APOEL Nicosia, where he made 14 league appearances and scored twice. That stint in Cyprus was itself brief, coming after a mutual departure from Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in October 2025. Consequently, the 30-year-old has now changed clubs three times in under a year, a pattern that reflects both his experience and his restless search for regular football.
The winger, who was born in Ibadan, brings a well-travelled résumé to his new club. He has previously featured in Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Serbia and Cyprus, with his most productive years coming at Slavia Prague.
There, he won three Czech First League titles and three Czech Cups, cementing his reputation as one of the more decorated Nigerian exports of his generation. Furthermore, he enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Red Star Belgrade, where he claimed two domestic doubles before his exit last year.
At Al Wehda, Olayinka will be walking a path already carved out by fellow Super Eagles forward Odion Ighalo, who spent two seasons at the Mecca-based club between 2023 and 2025. As a result, expectations around his arrival are likely to be shaped by comparisons to Ighalo’s spell there, even though the two players occupy different roles on the pitch. Al Wehda, for their part, are part of a broader wave of Saudi clubs recruiting experienced attacking talent from Europe as they push to strengthen their squad in the Saudi Pro League.
Olayinka’s international career with the Super Eagles has been modest by comparison to his club exploits. He made his debut as a late substitute against Brazil in October 2019 and later featured at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
However, his caps for Nigeria have remained limited, and his move to Saudi Arabia is unlikely to significantly alter his standing in the national team picture in the short term. Nevertheless, his continued presence in a competitive league keeps him on the radar for Super Eagles selectors monitoring in-form forwards across Europe, Asia and the Gulf.
Olayinka is expected to link up with his new teammates in the coming days as Al Wehda finalise their squad ahead of the new Saudi Pro League season. Meanwhile, attention will turn to how quickly he can adapt to a new league after a disrupted run of short spells in Serbia and Cyprus.
Should he settle in and rediscover consistent goal involvement, his move could also revive conversations about a recall to the Super Eagles setup, particularly with Nigeria continuing to assess options across its forward line.
