Cardiff City signed Jamilu Collins but they should have signed Chima Okoroji instead

The Welsh club which plays in the English Championship reached an agreement with Collins as his deal with Paderborn expires this summer.

Collins had spent the last five years with the German club and now the 27-year old is set for a new challenge with Cardiff.

But perhaps with a little better scouting, Cardiff could have found a better Nigerian left-back in the German Bundesliga 2, the very same league they poached Collins from.

Jamilu Collins and Chima Okoroji are both left full-backs with ties to Nigeria who played their club football in the German second division this season and in the last few years by extension.

Beyond their primary positions, both players have also proven proficient in centre-back and even further up the pitch on the left wing.

Okoroji only just finished his first season with Sandhausen having helped them escape relegation from the second tier.

And because they played in the same league, the comparison is more balanced and gives legitimate reasons to believe Okoroji is the better of both players.

Jamilu Collins played in 20 league games out of a possible 34 for Paderborn this season while Chima Okoroji played in all but one for Sandhausen which underlines their importance to their respective teams.

They both scored one league goal each but while Collins managed three assists, Okoroji returned double of that tally.

Collins is no doubt better on the defensive end while Okoroji thrives while attacking which is the biggest divide between both players.

It is understandable that Cardiff signed Jamilu Collins though, he is more experienced and an overall solid defender and ultimately was a free agent while Okoroji still has two more years on his deal at Sandhausen.

But Okoroji being younger and more attack-minded gives him the higher ceiling and would have made him a worthy investment for Cardiff City.