Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika may not make a big transfer away from Club Brugge despite a promise by his Belgian team that he could leave this summer.
Last summer, Club Brugge were open to selling Raphael Onyedika, but no club were willing to pay the €20 million requested.
Only after the Belgian transfer deadline passed did Galatasaray make another offer, and according to Tomas Taecke, club watcher at Het Laatste Nieuws , Onyedika was already close to a transfer to Istanbul.
However, Club Brugge opted not to let him go, hoping that a strong Champions League campaign could launch him towards a top transfer in one of the G5 competitions.
His impressive performances in the Champions League undoubtedly attracted the attention of Europe’s top clubs, and Hein Vanhaezebrouck described him as “outstanding and great.”
“They won’t be able to keep him after this season. He was very strong, and all of Europe saw that,” Vanhaezebrouck added.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws , Onyedika, like Joel Ordonez, Maxim De Cuyper, and Ferran Jutgla, was promised a transfer this summer. The foursome were certain to leave.
De Cuyper and Jutgla have already left, while Ordonez is on his way to Olympique de Marseille. But what about Onyedika?
According to Valerie Van Avermaet, club watcher for Het Nieuwsblad , Onyedika’s name has been circulating throughout Europe all season and is now appearing on numerous scouting lists.
Earlier this year, the Nigerian changed agents and joined the major international agency Stellar, with a view to a summer transfer abroad
Onyedika is considered a “certain” departure from Club Brugge, and according to Tomas Taecke, a club watcher for Het Laatste Nieuws , he will leave the club “with almost certainty.”
Quoting a fee remains difficult and depends on the market, but it’s clear that Club Brugge won’t let him go for less than €15 million and is aiming for the top price.
The Blues initially asked for around €20 million for the Nigerian midfielder. Club Brugge has already secured a potential replacement in Ludovit Reis (Hamburger SV), and another newcomer, Aleksandar Stankovic (Inter Milan), also possesses the profile and qualities to replace Onyedika should he leave.
” Raphael Onyedika is almost certain to leave.” “Onyedika’s departure is almost certain.” “The expectation is that Onyedika will look elsewhere.” These are some quotes from Flemish newspapers in recent weeks and months.
To date, however, with the end of the summer transfer window in sight, there are still no concrete options for the Nigerian.
In the first matches of the season, that seemed to be a problem. Against KV Mechelen, Onyedika barely featured and looked disinterested on the pitch. He lacked the courage and guts to play football. “Onyedika seems to be eyeing a transfer,” wrote Krant van West-Vlaanderen.
“Is that dream transfer still on his mind?” wondered Het Nieuwsblad.
