Ogenyi Onazi has completed a move to Lithuanian side FK Babrungas Plungė, ending his spell as a free agent and adding top‑level experience to the I Lyga club’s midfield. The Nigerian defensive midfielder joins Babrungas on a free transfer from “Without Club,” with his contract beginning on 2026-03-11. The deal has been registered without a transfer fee and without a publicly listed contract end date.
The move returns the 33-year-old to Lithuanian football, where he previously represented FK Žalgiris Vilnius earlier in his career. This latest transfer also extends a long, peripatetic journey that has taken him through Italy, Türkiye, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Hong Kong, the United States and the lower tiers of Italian football before arriving in Plungė.
Onazi had been unattached since leaving Acireale Calcio, with his status on Transfermarkt recorded as “Without Club” prior to the switch. His most recent transfers underline how frequently he has moved in recent seasons: from Avezzano Calcio to free agent in 2024, then to Charlotte Independence in the United States in 2025, back to free agency later that year, and now into the Lithuanian second tier. With no current market value listed at the time of this transfer and no fee changing hands, Babrungas have secured an experienced international without a transfer outlay.
Born in Jos on 25 Dec 1992, Onazi stands 1.73m tall and operates primarily as a defensive midfielder, with “Midfield – Defensive Midfield” listed as his main position and right as his preferred foot. Over the years he has built a résumé that includes Serie A with SS Lazio, the Turkish Süper Lig and TFF First League with Trabzonspor and Denizlispor, the Danish Superliga with Sønderjyske, top-flight football in Saudi Arabia with Al-Adalah FC, Bahrain with East Riffa, Hong Kong with Kitchee, and multiple stints in Italy’s lower divisions.
His career market value once peaked at €7 million during his Lazio days, reflecting the high regard in which he was held in his early‑ to mid‑20s. That figure gradually declined as he moved away from Europe’s top five leagues and into more modest competitions. The most recent recorded values show a steady drop from €75,000 at Avezzano in early 2024 to €50,000 by mid‑2024, then down to zero when he was without a club in early 2025, and a brief uptick to €25,000 at Charlotte Independence later that year before returning to zero as a free agent.
Babrungas will hope that this experience translates into greater stability and tactical discipline at the base of their midfield. Onazi’s history of adapting to multiple leagues and environments suggests he can cope with the physical and tactical demands of I Lyga football. His previous spell in Lithuania with Žalgiris should also ease his reintegration into the country’s football culture and conditions.
For the player, the move offers regular competitive football abroad rather than a return to his homeland. With no contract expiry date specified, both club and player retain flexibility over the length and future of the arrangement. At 33, this chapter with Babrungas may help define the closing stages of Onazi’s career, offering him a platform to extend his playing days in Europe and to add another notable stop to an already wide‑ranging football journey.
