Brentford announced yesterday that Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka had joined them from Midtjylland on a five-year deal.
It is a fantastic move for the Nigerian as he moved from a relatively unknown Danish league to the English Premier League.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank has indicated his enthusiasm to work with the 23-year-old midfielder, but it doesn’t end there. Onyeka will have to fulfil his part of the bargain if he wants to be a first-team player for The Bees.
The FC Ebedei Academy joins a Brentford side that is laden with many options in midfield, which means that he has a lot of convincing to do to make Thomas Frank give him a lot of game time.
Onyeka has a good level of experience, having played in the Champions League last season, the pinnacle of club football, and that gives him an edge.
In their first season in the EPL, their ability to hold the ball would be critical, and Onyeka, who had an 84.5% pass completion rate last season, could be crucial.
The qualities of an excellent defensive midfielder are his ability to hold possession and break play. Onyeka has that a lot as he goes into at least 12 duels per game. He also knows how to win fouls from his opponents at two per game.
The Nigerian International also knows how to push forward as he averages about 12 forward passes per game.
Brentford will also be counting on the physicality of the Nigerian. Onyeka is quite physical, and he uses it to his advantage. His aggressive pressing off the ball is unique. He recovers the ball at least 12 times per game.
The England game requires a lot of speed, and the Nigerian has that in abundance, especially for short distances.
The 23-year-old is not yet the finished product, but if he can continue with the progress he has made in recent years, he could be crucial to Brentford’s campaign.
