Is CanMNT forward Tani Oluwaseyi ready for landmark move to Villarreal? 👀 | OneSoccer Direct ⤴️

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After the initial noise surrounding a potential Tani Oluwasyi move to Spain’s La Liga emerged last week, that has blossomed into a fascinating story over the last few days, as it was reported that the ‘unnamed La Liga club’ that made an offer to Minnesota United last week was none other than CF Villarreal. 

Now, the Canadian forward is set to head to La Liga, becoming the latest CanMNT player to make a move this summer, linking up with fellow CanMNT teammate Tajon Buchanan at his new club. 

Safe to say, the World Cup year effect is already playing a big role in the future of several Canadian players this summer, as several have made moves to boost their stocks ahead of that tournament, and Oluwaseyi may have just made one of the biggest moves of them all. 

Immediately, he has just changed the conversation up front for Canada, where he, along with Cyle Larin, Promise David and Daniel Jebbison, are all vying for a starting spot at striker alongside Jonathan David at next summer’s World Cup. 

Already a frontrunner for a starting spot based on his stylistic fit in Jesse Marsch’s system and his form for Minnesota United, one knock on Oluwaseyi compared to his peers was the level he was playing at. Now, that’s no longer a problem, as making a move like this to a side that finished top five in La Liga in 2024-2025 and is set to play in the Champions League is quite massive for him.

Of course, as is with all Canadians, this move will only be successful if he plays, which is always the most important thing to keep in mind when assessing a move like this. It’s one thing to make a big jump, but it’s another to stick the landing, especially when talking about a 25-year-old with less than 100 professional appearances under his belt. 

At the same time, it’s not as if it’s completely unprecedented. We’re just over a year removed from seeing Moïse Bombito make the jump as a 24-year-old to Ligue 1 side OGC Nice despite having less than 50 appearances under his belt, and he adapted quite nicely to life at his new club. 

Can Oluwaseyi replicate something similar with Villarreal? One thing’s for sure - there will be more pressure on him to hit the ground running with Villarreal than there was with Bombito at Nice, as that’s just the nature of being an attacker in this sport. 

TANI OLUWASEYI BACKHEEL GOAL 😱 pic.twitter.com/6txM8WtpJq

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 18, 2025

The good news? The opportunity appears to be there for Tani Oluwaseyi to earn significant minutes right off the bat with his new club, which helps show why this move makes sense for him. 

Despite selling striker Thierno Barry to Everton for 30 million euros, the only other forward Villarreal have brought in this window was Karl Etta Eyong, who they promoted up from their second team. To Eyong’s credit, he did score vs. Real Oviedo in Villarreal’s 2025-2026 La Liga opener this past weekend, but the 21-year-old has just seven games of experience with Villarreal’s and Cadiz’s first teams, as he’s otherwise spent most of his young career with Villarreal and Cadiz’s second teams. 

For a team that’s already a bit old up front, as the 33-year-old Gerard Moreno and the 32-year-old Ayoze Pérez are two of their main options in the attack, it’s reinforced a need to bring in some younger attacking depth - and that became hammered home over the past few weeks, as Moreno picked up a hamstring injury vs. Oviedo, joining an already-injured Pérez (who led the team in goals last year) on the sidelines over the next few weeks. 

Nicolas Pépé can also play up front, which helps, but otherwise, the next options beyond Eyong are all out-of-position players or other relatively unproven youngsters. 

Given Villarreal’s desire to play in a 4-4-2 with two strikers up top under manager Marcelino, their current forward situation is a big worry, which likely further pushed them to make this move - especially when considering they’re about to play in the UEFA Champions League this year, which is likely the biggest reason why they’re willing to make such a move. Already, for a team with aspirations of finishing in the top four of La Liga, they’ll have felt they needed more attacking depth, but their European participation only reinforced that need that they needed to add pieces up front, as a competition like that can destroy a roster with the physical demands it places on players. 

Now, with Oluwaseyi, they’ve added an interesting recruit to help them combat that problem - and he could prove to be quite the gamble if he hits the ground running with his new side. 

YES, IT IS IN FACT TANI TIME pic.twitter.com/Q0qOIzGbq3

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 13, 2025

Speaking of their new recruit, though, what should Villarreal expect from Oluwaseyi as he finds his feet at his new club? 

For what it’s worth, they’re signing him at a great time, as he’s been fantastic this year for Minnesota United, putting together an excellent season for the club that drafted him in 2022. 

ONE. MINUTE. IN. ⚡️

Tani Oluwaseyi opens the scoring with his fifth of the season for @MNUFC! pic.twitter.com/hvsQ9tAmxC

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 6, 2025

After scoring eight goals and adding five assists in 30 games in his first full season in MLS in 2024, earning his first Canadian call-up along the way, Oluwaseyi is up to 12 goals and eight assists in 28 appearances in 2025, as he’s been one of the best attackers in MLS, period. 

¡Otra linda jugada colectiva del @MNUFC que termina con la asistencia de Joseph Rosales🇭🇳 para Tani Oluwaseyi!

Minnesota gana, gusta y golea en su debut en la #LeaguesCup2025 pic.twitter.com/b0uEPYTqUj

— MLS Español (@MLSes) July 31, 2025

In particular, what’s most impressive about his goal tally is that none of them have come from the penalty spot. Because of that, he’s tied for 13th in MLS in non-penalty goals as of writing, and is 11th in goals+assists, giving an idea of how good his production has been. 

Safe to say, for a draft pick, his production has proven to be a steal for Minnesota, as he’s scored like a Designated Player this year, given the company that he finds himself with on those respective goalscoring and goal contributions lists. 

Now, though, to dive deeper into his numbers, what stands out from his output this season with Minnesota?

Here are Oluwaseyi's numbers with Minnesota - as seen, he's been among the best at his position in terms of final product and defensive output (FBRef)

The big thing is how he manages to get to dangerous areas despite not seeing the ball as much as most of his peers - Minnesota holds just 39.7% of possession per game on average in MLS play (no, that’s not a typo), meaning that Oluwaseyi has averaged just 30.87 touches per 90 minutes (which is a middling 45th percentile among MLS strikers). 

Despite that, he makes sure that those touches are quite valuable, as 5.47 of them come in the box per 90 minutes (80th percentile). Further to that point, he also averages 3.05 shots per 90 (69th percentile), putting 1.38 of those shots on target (82nd percentile). For a striker on a team that literally holds the ball less than anyone in MLS, those numbers are quite solid, which is why he’s scored 0.49 non-penalty goals (74th percentile) on 0.47 non-penalty xG (69th percentile). 

Interestingly, though, unlike most strikers, who get on the end of carving passes from their teammates, Oluwaseyi does a lot of his own dirty work when it comes to creating his own chances.

⚽️ Goal for The Loons! Tani Oluwaseyi goes 1v1 contra el defensor de las Águilas y finishes with calma. The visitors take the lead at 16' minutes🔥

🦅 @ClubAmerica 0⃣-1⃣ @MNUFC 🩵

📺 https://t.co/ias3FsdUS9 pic.twitter.com/u81dDjdJb0

— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 3, 2025

To that point, he receives just 4.33 progressive passes per 90 (26th percentile), as he instead does his best work by dribbling - he has 1.62 progressive carries (67th percentile), 2.22 take-ons attempted (69th percentile), 1.13 carries into the final third (77th percentile) and 0.89 carries into the box per 90 (69th percentile). 

Yet, those numbers help explain some of the goals he’s scored this season, which are a byproduct of Minnesota’s style of play. The reason for their low possession numbers is that they like to sit back and hit on the break, meaning that a lot of Oluwaseyi’s touches come in transition moments, where he can sometimes be asked to take the ball and carry it up the field by himself. 

The rain can't stop Tani time. ⌚

That's a brace for @MNUFC's Tani Oluwaseyi. pic.twitter.com/TT8ZbYDj7Q

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 30, 2025

That’s seen on some of the goals he’s scored and assisted this year, where it was a common sight to see him pick up the ball in a deep position, doing well to carry it into a dangerous area before executing the final action. 

To that point, he’s actually been a pretty effective creator this year, too - he has 0.34 assists (94th percentile), 0.22 xA (87th percentile) and 1.18 key passes (63rd percentile), which stand out given how little he touches the ball, as he’s also attempted just 17.63 passes per 90 (33rd percentile), completing 11.91 of them (23rd percentile). 

To sum up his attacking game, though, when he receives the ball, it’s usually in high-leverage transition moments, where he’s asked to carry it to a dangerous position before executing his actions. Given the nature of those actions, which are riskier in nature, that’s why his pass completion is low, but as seen by his shot and chance creation numbers, he mostly makes the right decisions in those high-stakes moments. 

Tani Oluwaseyi notches his second assist of the night as Joseph Rosales extends the @MNUFC lead! pic.twitter.com/1vdMlyK6tw

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2025

Where he’ll want to be challenged with Villarreal is with his hold-up play, as he’ll want to start completing a lot more than 67.6% of his passes in Spain - although it’s encouraging to see that he’s won 50.5% of his aerials (79th percentile). 

Tani time in the pouring rain. 💦

📺 #MLSSeasonPass or Apple TV+: https://t.co/eTbq5lluMY pic.twitter.com/LthszrQQrk

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 30, 2025

Yet, given the unique nature of the Minnesota system that he plays in, it’ll be fascinating to see how he adapts to La Liga, where he won’t be able to play in transition as much as in MLS, mainly due to the style of the league (although Villarreal was in the bottom half of La Liga teams with just 47.6% of possession, interestingly). 

At the same time, given that he’s joining a Villarreal side that was fourth in La Liga in non-penalty xG, third in shots, first in shot distance, second in passes to the box, fourth in successful crosses into the box and fifth in carries into the box in 2024-2025, he is joining a club that did a pretty good job of providing service to their attackers last year, even if they liked to hit on the break at times. 

It’ll be fascinating to see if they can maintain those numbers despite the departure of attacking midfielder Álex Baena, who was their main creative outlet, but even with a slight regression, those numbers suggest that they should hopefully find a way to make up for his departure. 

The challenge for Oluwaseyi will be to get on the end of those deliveries and finish in tight areas, doing so against disciplined and organized defensive blocks, proving that his goalscoring numbers in MLS didn’t just come because he was constantly playing in transition. 

Tani time. ⌚@MNUFC lead on the road. pic.twitter.com/EPnGQedXQ9

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 1, 2025

The good news? Oluwaseyi has constantly proven that he has a nose for a net - there’s a reason why he’s scored the way he has in MLS, along with the 17-goal and seven-assist season he had in the USL Championship in 2023. 

This game is nuts, y'all. 🥜

Tani AGAIN. 3-1. pic.twitter.com/wKK3LhI6bA

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 1, 2025

For example, take the numbers he had for Minnesota in 2024, where he played a more limited role (1084 minutes, compared to the 1828 he’s already played in 2025). Despite having far fewer minutes, and taking just 4.32 touches in the box per game (43rd percentile), he took 2.99 shots per 90 (64th percentile), generating 0.66 non-penalty goals (93rd percentile), and 0.42 assists per 90 (94th percentile) from 0.69 non-penalty xG (98th percentile) and 0.20 xA (82nd percentile).

Here's how Oluwaseyi's 2024 numbers (in red) compare to his 2025 numbers (in blue), showing that while he's regressed a bit in terms of his red-hot offensive numbers, they're still quite strong, and his game is a bit more well-rounded (FBRef). 

What that shows is even if he’s in a more limited role, one where he doesn’t see the ball around the box as much, he can find a way to turn the touches he has into chances - and usually he then turns those into goals. Ultimately, what that all means is that the one thing that isn’t in doubt about Oluwaseyi is that he should still be dangerous even though he’s taking a big step up, as that’s usually a skill that translates throughout the levels. 

Game on in Minnesota!

Tani Oluwaseyi pulls one back for @MNUFC! pic.twitter.com/hnETlHu2VO

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2025

Plus, it’s also worth noting that Oluwaseyi is quite strong defensively, which will also help his chances at getting on the pitch earlier on with his new club - he’s got 1.13 tackles per 90 in 2025 (79th percentile), including a whopping 0.54 tackles in the attacking third (94th percentile), also adding 0.30 interceptions per 90 (69th percentile) for good measure. Therefore, while he’ll look to round his hold-up play, he has the defensive aptitude which can sometimes be harder for strikers to pick up, which is a feather in his cap. 

Lastly, though, one thing to keep in mind is that it’s one thing for a player to make the step from college to USL and then MLS the way Oluwaseyi has - it’s completely different to make the jump to a top-five league out of MLS, even if there’s reasons to be encouraged in Oluwaseyi’s ability to do so. 

Orange ball goal 🔥

That's a brace for @MNUFC's Tani Oluwaseyi 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/vLBvpYjBTM

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2025

To that point, just 10 of the top 25 most expensive attackers sold from MLS have gone directly to a top-five league, as it’s still a burgeoning pipeline. Attackers like Cucho Hernández and Taty Castellanos have really helped change things, but the reality is that among those 10 attackers to have headed to a top five league, just two have featured domestic players - Americans Ricardo Pepi to Augsburg in 2022 and Jozy Altidore to Villarreal in 2009. 

That means that Oluwaseyi’s heading to relatively uncharted territory with his move, as it’s been rare for a domestic forward to make a move to a top-five league like this for this kind of fee - showing how remarkable a transfer it is when considering his age and nationality.  

The good news? While someone like Pepi struggled with his transfer (which he made at just 18), the success of Hernández and Castellanos, who moved in their 20s, should help Oluwaseyi feel optimistic, even if they were more prolific than him in MLS. In three seasons in European top five leagues since his move, Castellanos has scored double-digit goals twice (including 14 goals in his debut season with Girona), while Hernández scored five goals in his first half-season with Real Betis earlier this year (doing so in 13 appearances), showing that adaptation is possible. 

Therefore, while Oluwaseyi might be in a tough position to replicate the nearly 30 goal contributions he was on pace to hit with Minnesota this year in Spain, pushing to hit somewhere from six to 10 goals would be a nice debut season objective for him to have.  

The beautiful game 👌

What a buildup on the counter for a Tani Oluwaseyi goal.

Watch on #MLSSeasonPass, FS1 or Fox Deportes: https://t.co/gMG961bfn7 pic.twitter.com/hkq6VPz0x3

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2025

At the end of the day, a move like this is also a long-term investment from Villarreal, one where they’ll hope he hits his most prolific numbers in years two, three, four and beyond, provided that his adaptation period is successful and that his improvement continues. 

To that point, that’s why this transfer is so fascinating from a CanMNT perspective. Immediately, among strikers Cyle Larin, Promise David, Daniel Jebbison, Theo Bair, Jacen Russell-Rowe and the other forwards he’s competing with to both crack Canada’s World Cup squad and earn a starting spot at that tournament, he’d now arguably be playing at the highest level in that group. 

GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦

It's TANI TIME 😎#CanMNT are up 2-0 over Honduras 🇭🇳 at the stroke of half-time as Tani Oluwaseyi finds a near-impossible angle and smacks it home 🚀

🔴 Watch Gold Cup on OneSoccer & TSN pic.twitter.com/MfdNNc8d0c

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 18, 2025

Because of that, if he can find a bit of form in Spain, it’ll improve his National Team stock massively, given that he was already earning starts for Canada with his play at Minnesota, starting five of their last 10 games. 

Due to his profile, CanMNT head coach Jesse Marsch is a big fan of his, and understandably so, as he might be the most natural fit as a striker in his system when considering what he wants from his forwards, which includes a lot of defensive work and runs in behind the defence.

Now, with this move, that might just be what he needs to gain an edge over his competition, many of whom don’t fit as naturally in Marsch’s system, especially with what they provide off the ball. Because of that, if Oluwaseyi can now make his mark with Villarreal, a starting spot for Canada feels like his to lose going forward, especially if he can put in some good performances for Marsch’s side in friendlies this fall and add to the two goals and two assists he has in 15 Canada caps. 

🍁TANI OLUWASEYI!!!!!!!!

🇨🇦 1 - 0 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HZmrAamtNu

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 23, 2025

Yet, this shows why it was noted earlier that this might be the biggest move a Canadian makes this summer. Now, Oluwaseyi has a clear path towards becoming a surefire starter next summer, after being a bit of a long shot in his race up front - it’s hard to think of many players who have increased their World Cup aspirations with one move. 

Plus, it’s worth noting that it’s a move that should create a path for more Canadians after him to follow, too, which is quite key. All of a sudden, Canada’s creating a bit of a pipeline for players to head to tier-one clubs, both those in the top five European leagues and just outside of it, as this now pushes them to double-digits for players that fit that ‘tier one’ designation - compared to the handful they had at the 2022 World Cup. 

That’s a credit to this team’s growth, and Oluwaseyi is the latest player to benefit from it - now, he’ll look to make the most of this unique opportunity he’s about to have in Spain.