Former Super Eagles player Mikel Obi made an appearance at the UEFA Champions League draw following the completion of the Round of 16 ties.

Arsenal advanced to the quarter-finals after surviving a scare against Porto and winning in a penalty shootout.

Other top teams such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid also secured quarter-final spots.

The draw, held recently, pitted these top teams against each other as they aim for a path to Wembley.

Mikel Obi, an AFCON winner, selected Arsenal to play against Bayern Munich, a team that has historically had the upper hand against the Gunners.

In other matchups, Barcelona will face Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid will play against Borussia Dortmund, and there will be a rematch of last season’s clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Real Madrid will seek revenge against Manchester City, who knocked them out last season before going on to win the final against Inter Milan.

Bayer Leverkusen received a significant boost with the return of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface to training after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The 23-year-old had been out of action since January due to a serious injury that also prevented him from participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles earlier this year.

Leverkusen shared a picture of Boniface back on the ball during a training session at the BayArena, indicating his first steps towards a comeback.

The image posted on Twitter was captioned: “Small steps, first time back on the ball! 😮‍💨🇳🇬 #Bayer04 #Werkself | @boniface_jrn”

The sight of Victor Boniface back in training will be a relief for Leverkusen fans, who have been concerned about the fitness of their key striker.

Boniface had been in exceptional form for the Bundesliga team before his injury, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists in just 16 Bundesliga appearances.

His return will strengthen Xabi Alonso’s squad as they aim for their first-ever Bundesliga title.

While caution will be exercised in his reintegration, there are positive signs that Boniface will lead Leverkusen’s attack again before the season concludes.

Real Madrid are reportedly not willing to meet Bayern Munich’s asking price for Alphonso Davies this summer. Davies, whose contract expires in 2025, is rumored to be valued at €70 million or €50 million by Bayern.

However, Real Madrid plans to make a lower offer and is prepared to wait a year for his signature if they don’t get a deal they find acceptable.

Real Madrid already has Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia under contract until 2025, and they also have the option to buy Miguel Gutierrez back from Girona for €8 million this summer. This reduces the urgency for Real Madrid to sign Davies this summer, despite their interest.

Bayern’s Sporting Director, Max Eberl, has expressed a desire not to lose players for free, indicating that they may consider selling Davies.

Davies’ agent is reportedly seeking a salary increase to €20 million per season from Bayern, up from the previous rumored €14 million per season.

It seems that Davies has his sights set on moving to Madrid sooner or later, regardless of Bayern’s efforts to renew his contract, although they are unlikely to match the salary demands mentioned.

Real Madrid believes they are winning the battle for Davies, which has been ongoing for over a year, and Bayern is expected to put him up for sale this summer if there are no changes.

However, if another team enters the race seriously for Davies, negotiations could become more complicated for Real Madrid. If Davies has committed to Real Madrid and no other team, Real Madrid will have the upper hand. Otherwise, the longer negotiations drag on, the higher the potential cost could be.