David Ankeye: Genoa striker completes 360k move to Zeleznicar Pancevo in Serbia

Nigeria centre-forward David Ankeye has completed a permanent transfer from Genoa to FK Zeleznicar Pancevo, joining the Serbian Super Liga club on 04/07/2026 for a reported fee of 360,000. The move ends his spell with the Serie A side and formally places him in Serbian top-flight football, where he will play abroad once again rather than in his native Nigeria.

The 24-year-old arrives in Pancevo with a current market value listed at 600,000, meaning Zeleznicar have secured the Abuja-born forward for a fee below his latest valuation. The deal, registered as a standard transfer, confirms his status as a fully contracted player of the Serbian club rather than a loanee. His new contract with Zeleznicar Pancevo is scheduled to run until 30/06/2029.

Ankeyes switch comes shortly after his return to Genoa from a loan spell at Cypriot side Krasava ENY, where he had been sent on an active loan transfer earlier in 2026. That stint followed another loan in Italian football with Virtus Entella, underlining a period in which Genoa repeatedly opted to send him out to gain experience before sanctioning a full sale this summer.

The move to Serbia adds another country to Ankeyes already wide-ranging career path. The 1.91m right-footed centre-forward has previously played in Tunisia for ES Hammam Sousse, in Moldova for FC Sheriff Tiraspol, in Romania for FC Rapid 1923, in Italy for Genoa and Virtus Entella, in Cyprus for Krasava ENY, and in Sweden in the Hammarby system with both Hammarby IF and Hammarby TFF. Before moving to North Africa and Europe, he was on the books of Nigerian sides Sidos FC and Jimmy Football Academy.

His market value trajectory illustrates both his rise and subsequent adjustment in recent seasons. Valued at 175,000 with ES Hammam Sousse in late 2022, he climbed to 250,000 there before a sharp increase to 1 million at Sheriff Tiraspol. A further surge to 2 million followed after his move to Genoa, with that valuation holding steady through mid-2024. Subsequent loan spells saw his estimated value decline to 1.3 million at Rapid 1923, then to 850,000, and later to 700,000 at Virtus Entella, before settling at 650,000 and finally 600,000 while at Krasava ENY.

The transfer to Zeleznicar Pancevo ensures Ankeye will continue his career in Europe and specifically in the Super liga Srbije, further extending his experience across different leagues and styles of football outside Nigeria. At 24, and already accustomed to adapting to new environments across the continent, his performance in Serbia over the life of his contract to 30/06/2029 will go a long way to determining how his reputation and prospects develop in the coming years.