Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika opted to join Belgian side Club Brugge because his first option AC Milan dillydallied in negotiations, and the youngster also considered opportunity for regular playing time, his mentor has exclusively informed Completesports.com.
Club Brugge on Sunday unveiled the 21year old midfielder following a €10m transfer move away from FC Midtjylland of Denmark.
The Belgian Jupiler champions and UEFA Champions League campaigners are now working on Onyedika’s Work Permit. And Completesports.com understands that Midtjylland sold Onyedika to Club Brugge following the player’s Intermediary’s last-minute decision.
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AC Milan had earlier offered Midtjylland €4m for the signature of the Nigerian box-to-box midfielder which the Danish Club turned down and the Italian giant virtually went to sleep.
“After all i’s and t’s appeared dotted and crossed, Milan came right back in pursuit of Onyedika,” said Onyedika’s mentor, Ikenna Osueke, who discovered the player and nurtured him at Ozala Football Academy, Onitsha, before transferring him to FC Ebedei from where he got the breakthrough to Europe.
“And because Onyedika’s European Intermediary was afraid that there was no time left to go through the transfer process if the Milan improved offer above €10m was to be considered, the Club Brugge offer was accepted and signed.”
Osueke added: “Besides, there was also the fear that Onyedika may not get regular playing time at AC Milan.
“Don’t forget too that Club Brugge is also playing in the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League which makes it easier for Nigerians across the globe to watch Onyedika regularly in the campaign.”
Onyedika who penned a five-year contract Brugge will wear jersey No.15.
6 Comments
AC MILAN would have been better..
HE should have fought his way through every competition to gain regular playing time
A typical example of why greedy agents and representative are the major reason our players are no more among the elite in world football…… imagine what this man just said now….. very lame reason with no logic at all…… Milan came back with an offer of more than 10mil but you rushed at club brugge offer of less than 10mil……if you go through the brugge contract you will see the real reason the greedy representative rejected Milan……Agent fee,Sell on clause, released clause and many shit will be in the brugge contract which a club like Milan who are after silver wares will never be a party to…… They just had to arm twist the young man to sign for brugge ASAP using their usual tactics of regular playing time to persuade him…….Naija players are always afraid of competition and they knew he would fall for it.
His never afraid of any competition or anything like greedy agent,ac milan priced peal nut nd later wen brugge agreed on 10m,that was when milan came back and accepted to pay and there was no time again,he is my brother we have been talking about this for long .
I’m really tired of these nigerian players. How on earth you had an offer from AC Milan which is one of the major clubs in Europe and then turned it down for a mediocre club in Belgium. This doesn’t make any sense at all. I can’t understand the rationale behind it. It just seems like most Nigerian players don’t have any ambition to progress
I guess it could be his agent or manager , I read it right their that they did not hv time to read ac Milan improved offer. Such a useles reasons, I was just thinking how long does it take to study ND read a contract
What many of them don’t even know is that as a Nigerian player there is no way you will be plying your trade in any of it these giant club that you won’t be invited to eagles.
I mean you can’t be in Man u, real Madrid, Ac Milan, Bayern, baca, Chelsea, dotmund etc and you won’t be in eagles.
Just take a look at all the transfer so far this season, Nigerian players going into mushroom clubs.
Nawa real wa