James Adeniyi has completed a move from Hapoel Petah Tikva to Bnei Sakhnin, with the Nigerian-Albanian centre-forward signing a contract running from 2026-02-11 to 2027-06-30. The deal keeps the 33-year-old in the Israeli top flight, Ligat ha’Al, and sees him officially registered as a Bnei Sakhnin player after his spell in Petah Tikva.
The transfer is recorded as a standard move, with no disclosed fee, and comes at a time when Adeniyi’s market value is listed at €175k. Having joined Hapoel Petah Tikva from Hapoel Hadera ahead of the 25/26 season, he now switches clubs again within the same division, underlining his continued appeal as an experienced attacking option in Israel’s top tier.
Adeniyi arrives in Sakhnin as a specialist centre-forward, described in his profile as an attack-focused player who operates through the middle and favours his right foot. Standing at 1.77m, he adds mobility and penalty-box presence to Bnei Sakhnin’s front line, with the northern club turning to a proven veteran rather than a developmental signing.
Born in Lagos, Adeniyi holds both Nigerian and Albanian nationality, reflecting a career that has taken him across several leagues. After beginning his professional journey in Albania with FK Bylis, he had loan and permanent spells at FK Tomori Berat, KF Laçi and KF Skënderbeu, during which time his market value rose steadily and peaked at €475k while at Skënderbeu. He later moved to FK Gabala in Azerbaijan, where his value climbed as high as €900k, before a loan to Ironi Kiryat Shmona introduced him to Israeli football.
Subsequent permanent moves kept him in the region, with stints at Maccabi Petah Tikva and a venture to Turkey with Beykoz Anadolu Spor preceding his return to Israel via Hapoel Hadera. Over the last few years his valuation has gradually declined in line with age, from €900k at Gabala down to his current €175k at Hapoel Petah Tikva, but he remains considered a useful, battle-tested forward.
The transfer to Bnei Sakhnin continues a pattern of Adeniyi’s career being anchored in leagues outside his birth country. Rather than playing in Nigeria, he has built his reputation in Albania, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Israel, and this move confirms he will stay abroad, competing again in Ligat ha’Al. His long list of previous clubs across multiple countries provides Bnei Sakhnin with a striker accustomed to adapting quickly to new tactical setups and dressing rooms.
Given his contract end date of 2027-06-30, the move also shapes the next phase of Adeniyi’s career trajectory. Should he see out the deal, he would be approaching the latter years of his professional life as a free agent candidate, with the possibility of one more move or a final extension in Israel. For now, the transfer cements his status as a seasoned foreign forward in Ligat ha’Al, and offers Bnei Sakhnin a short-to-medium term solution at centre-forward backed by a decade of experience across several competitive European and Asian leagues.
