The EFL Double Signing Jokingly Branded as "AI" Might Have Actually Been So…

"AI-Scouted" Blades Duo Sent Out on Loan - Is There Any Chance of Their Move Becoming a Success?

Though the bargain buys and high-profile moves steal the majority of the limelight during the summer and winter transfer windows, there are always one or two deals that dominate the headlines for completely different reasons.

These moves enter the public consciousness for a great range of reasons, spanning from a club hugely overpaying for a middling player to signing one too many individuals in the same position, indicating a lack of strategy and forethought.

Sheffield United signed two Nigerians from Bulgarian league, Christian Nwachukwu and Ukaki.

Both didn’t make a league appearance.
Ukaki has been loaned to Greek league and Nwachukwu has been loaned to Turkish 2nd division, Serikspor. How????

Sheffield United fans call them A.I… https://t.co/oPAhDz2Xkl

— TobyWrites (@tobyasky) February 9, 2026

However, one of the oddest examples has to be Sheffield United’s double Nigerian swoop, which has led to both players being labelled as AI-influenced signings. Of course, Ehije Ukaki and Christian Nwachukwu do, in fact, exist, but in the year since both signed for the Blades, you’d be forgiven for wondering what on earth influenced any Sheffield scouts to sign them in the first place.

Super Eagles

Ukaki and Nwachukwu were both acquired by the club during 2025 - Ukaki in the summer, Nwachukwu this time last year on transfer deadline day - and immediately, Sheffield United fans felt that something was off about both deals.

The pair were both brought in from Bulgarian top-flight side Botev Plovdiv, a league with little to no recognition and credibility in English football. Though both had experience playing in the first team there, amassing 73 senior appearances between them, there was never any immediate expectation for them to force their way into the Blades' first-team setup due to the gap in quality between Bulgarian football and the Championship.

Still, some held out hope that they could succeed in the endlessly difficult EFL - after all, Nwachukwu ended up on a list of the best U21 players across Europe, which included Lamine Yamal, and Ukaki was tagged as one of the most promising young players in Eastern Europe for a time.

Who is Sheffield united’s new signing Christian Nwachukwu? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/AHFcPKKhbc

— Toby ⚔️ (@Toby_sufc) February 4, 2025

However, ever since their arrival at Bramall Lane, the promise they showed in Bulgaria appears increasingly like smoke and mirrors. Both were loaned out in the final days of the most recent February transfer window, Ukaki to Greek side APS Atromitos Athinon, and Nwachukwu to Turkish second-tier side Serikspor, which appear to be the best loan deals the club were able to negotiate for their Nigerian duo, and even at such low levels, the pair have struggled for consistency.

AI-Signed Players

Recently, AI scouting has been on the up in football, with coaches and owners using various platforms to help narrow down shortlists and pinpoint specific targets that would work within the club's system. However, we are yet to hear of a success story using this style of recruitment, and it seems that Ukaki and Nwachukwu are set to join an ever-growing list of “artificially intelligent scouting”.

It is no wonder that the Sheffield fans have accused the pair of being AI-recommended – since Ukaki’s arrival at Sheffield United, he has managed just two professional games, one in the EFL Cup in a defeat to Birmingham and a solitary match for Athinon at the weekend, in which he managed a 6.3 rating (according to SofaScore) in 20 minutes off the bench.

As for Nwachukwu, it gets even worse – the 20-year-old left winger has failed to take to the pitch for any senior team since the end of last season, making the bench for Chris Wilder’s side just once, and his loan to Serikspor has failed to materialise into any game time since his move on Friday, despite the club playing at the weekend.

It makes us wonder what Sheffield United saw in the two Naija starlets in the first place. A scouting report on Nwachukwu prior to his signing for the Blades indicated that he was an excellent dribbler, averaging 5.1 successful dribbles per game, as well as a goal threat, with his pace and 1.8 shots per game seen as enough to worry Championship defenders.

But their lack of game time since signing underlines just how badly the Sheffield United staff misjudged the gap between the Bulgarian top flight and the English second tier - the styles of the two leagues could not be more different.

Christian Nwachukwu has departed S2, moving to play in Turkey as he joins Serikspor on-loan until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

All the best, Christian. 🤝

Find out more. ⬇️

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) February 7, 2026

The allegations of being AI-scouted have only got stronger in recent months, and the announcement of their respective loans away from the club was greeted less with praise and more with surprise, with many fans actually forgetting they had the two “future Super Eagles stars” on their books.

Why Were They Signed in the First Place?

So, why did Sheffield United actually sign Ukaki and Nwachukwu? Of course, they showed promise in Bulgaria, but we reckon 37-year-old Dagenham and Redbridge striker Andy Carroll could still do a job over there. The scouts must have been aware that quality in Eastern Europe does not necessarily translate to the Championship.

Well, some fans appear to have figured it out – prior to playing for Botev Plovdiv, both turned out for FDC Vista, an academy team with a significant cohort of African players that train their talents to learn the style of modern European football and have a particular penchant for selling their allegedly ‘ready’ players to Eastern European sides.

🚨 BOTEV PLOVDIV FC & NIGERIAN TALENTS

• 🇳🇬Williams Chimezie ~ 19yo | RW | 🆕
• 🇳🇬Shola Adelani ~ 19yo | ST |⏳

PREVIOUS PLAYERS:
🇳🇬🇮🇪 Armstrong Oko-Flex 💰
🇳🇬Christian Nwachukwu💰
🇳🇬Umeh Emmanuel 💰
🇳🇬Emmanuel John 💰
🇳🇬Samuel Akere💰
🇳🇬Ehije Ukaki💰

💰 = sold#9PN pic.twitter.com/XZ0YChngJQ

— Nigeria Scout (@9jaPlayersNews) February 3, 2026

Though the academy boasts very few recognisable graduates in recent years, with Club Brugge’s Osuji Vince probably being the best known, Sheffield United clearly liked what they saw in Vista’s programme and couldn’t resist taking the bait.

There have also been suggestions that their move to Sheffield United came off the back of strong agent links, but these suspicions remain unconfirmed.

Clearly, it was a gamble for Sheffield United - although their undisclosed transfer fees would have been extremely cheap considering the league they came from, the fact that neither player could secure a good quality loan deal speaks volumes of how they are valued today.

Though Nigeria’s talent production system has bred some serious talent in recent years, it seems that Ukaki and Nwachukwu are not going to be part of the future generation of Super Eagles stars.

Of course, there is still time - Ukaki is 21 and Nwachukwu 20, so they have plenty of opportunity to evolve and grow as players, and with their loan moves both less than a week old, there is still time to make a success of their respective stints abroad.

However, if AI in football has taught us anything, it is that man-to-man judgement should be trusted 10 times out of 10 when put up against AI systems, and sadly, it looks like Ukaki and Nwachukwu are set to be perfect examples as to why.