The 21-year-old defender has revealed to Kick Off Nigeria that his decision to leave FC Baník Ostrava for AC Sparta Praha was driven by his belief in the club’s project, which he sees as ideal for his development.
Current Czech Republic top-flight league champions, AC Sparta Praha, have finalized a deal with FC Baník Ostrava to sign the Nigerian defender, making him the second Nigerian player on their roster.
AC Sparta Praha agreed to a deal reportedly worth £2.00m for the highly rated youngster, who is set to join his new teammates in January.
Aririerisim is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most consistent defenders playing in European top-flight leagues, thanks to his impressive statistics since joining FC Baník Ostrava’s first team.
The young defender has been a regular for FC Baník Ostrava, making 14 appearances with one goal and one assist in the ongoing 2024/2025 Czech First League season.
Aririerisim attracted interest from several big clubs but ultimately decided to join AC Sparta Praha. In a recent interview with Nigerian journalist Nwosu Chigozie, he shared the reasons behind his decision.
“When the offer came from Sparta Praha, I knew it was the right club for my development,” he said.
“I love the club, their style of play, and they are a top professional club—one of the best in Europe.”
He also highlighted the influence of Tomas Rosicky’s presence at the club in helping him make the move.
“With a legend of the game like Tomas Rosicky involved in the club, it wasn’t a hard decision for me to make,” he concluded.
Born on December 4, 2003, the towering Nigerian defender began his professional football career with the Nigerian club Ikorodu City before moving to the Czech Republic to sign with FC Baník Ostrava in 2022.
In search of quality playing time, Aririerisim went on loan to MFK Vítkovice and FC Hlucin before being recalled to his parent club after his loan spells ended.
