Taiwo Awoniyi is being linked with a return to the Bundesliga, with Nottingham Forest’s Nigerian centre-forward rumoured to be on Mainz’s radar.
The 28-year-old, currently valued at €12.00m on Transfermarkt, is the subject of fresh speculation suggesting a move from Forest to 1. FSV Mainz 05 is under consideration. The reported probability of the transfer is not yet defined (“?”), underlining that talks, if any, remain at an early or unconfirmed stage. With no contract expiry listed for the striker at the City Ground, there is also no clear indication from the available data that he is close to becoming a free agent, leaving the structure of any potential deal unclear.
Awoniyi has significant history with Mainz and German football. He first joined the Rheinhessen side on loan from Liverpool in August 2019, returning to Anfield at the end of the 2019-20 season. That spell was part of a long sequence of temporary moves during his Liverpool years, which also included loans at FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Royal Excel Mouscron and KAA Gent before he eventually settled at Union Berlin.
A permanent switch to Union Berlin in July 2021 transformed his value, which climbed as high as €20m by June 2022 on the back of strong Bundesliga performances. Nottingham Forest then brought him back to England later that summer, where his valuation peaked at €30m in October 2023 before gradually declining to its current €12.00m by December 2025.
Born in Ilorin on 12 August 1997, the 1.83m right-footed forward has spent the bulk of his career in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and England, largely as a central striker. With Forest and Mainz both navigating challenging campaigns in their respective leagues, a move back to the Bundesliga could offer Awoniyi a familiar platform – and if the transfer materialises, it may mark the next decisive chapter in a career defined by constant movement and the search for a long-term home.
