Chidiebere Madubuegwu has completed a permanent move from Inter Bratislava to Banik Kalinovo on a free transfer, sealing a switch that takes the Nigerian centre-back deeper into Slovak football. The 25-year-old defender joins his new club with an estimated market value of €50k and will begin his contract on 2026-02-10, with the deal running until 2027-06-30.
The transfer ends Madubuegwu’s spell at Inter Bratislava, where he had been registered in the Slovak MONACObet liga. His move to Banik Kalinovo means he remains in Slovakia but steps into a different competitive environment, listed under a league currently marked as N/A. There is no transfer fee involved, confirming the move as a free transfer rather than a loan or fee-based deal, and there is no indication of any sell-on clauses or add-ons attached.
Madubuegwu’s career path has been firmly rooted in Slovak football since leaving Nigeria. Born on 20 Aug 2000, the central defender first moved abroad from Team360 Football Club in Nigeria to SK Svaty Jur in Slovakia in 2022. From there he transferred to FK Raca Bratislava in 2023, before stepping up to SKF Sered in 2024. A further move to Inter Bratislava followed in 2025, and now Banik Kalinovo become the latest stop in a steadily ascending European journey.
Throughout that time he has been consistently deployed in his main role as a centre-back, reinforcing his profile as a specialist in the heart of defence rather than a utility player. His development has been reflected in his market value, which rose from €25k to €50k during his period at Inter Bratislava, underlining a perception of growing reliability and potential in the Slovak game.
Madubuegwu’s transfers also highlight a stable presence in the Slovak system: Team360 Football Club in Nigeria remains his only club outside Slovakia, while each subsequent move – SK Svaty Jur, FK Raca Bratislava, SKF Sered, Inter Bratislava and now Banik Kalinovo – has kept him within the country’s football pyramid. That continuity offers Banik Kalinovo a defender already adapted to local conditions, competition style and environment, without the usual acclimatisation risk associated with foreign recruits.
For Inter Bratislava, his departure on a free transfer opens a defensive vacancy and potentially frees up budget space, but the data does not indicate any immediate replacement or parallel outgoing moves that might suggest a broader squad overhaul. At Banik Kalinovo, by contrast, bringing in a 25-year-old with an established track record in Slovak clubs suggests a calculated attempt to add experience at the back without a transfer fee outlay.
As a Nigerian national continuing his career abroad rather than in his home country, Madubuegwu’s move strengthens his status as one of many Nigerian professionals building their careers in lesser-publicised European leagues. Remaining in Slovakia with Banik Kalinovo gives him the platform to consolidate his reputation as a dependable centre-back and, if his upward value trend continues, to position himself for future steps higher up the European ladder.
