Tunde Akinsola: Why Nigerian winger turned down England, France to join Cercle Brugge

Nigerian winger Tunde Akinsola has completed a permanent move to Belgian Pro League side Cercle Brugge from Portuguese club AVS Futebol SAD, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year contract until June 2030, with an option for a fifth year. Akinsola arrives at the Green-Black side after two years at AVS Futebol SAD, during which he made 91 appearances, scored eight goals and provided seven assists across all competitions.

His most recent campaign yielded one goal and four assists in 34 Liga Portugal matches, although AVS finished bottom of the table and were relegated to Portugal's second tier.

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That relegation opened the door to Akinsola's summer move, with English Championship side Blackburn Rovers among the clubs to have made a formal bid for the Lagos-born forward.

However, the winger opted to head to Belgium rather than pursue any of the seemingly higher-profile alternatives.

Why Tunde Akinsola rejected offers from England and Italy

Manji Jpahhet, an official of Valiant Football Club, the Lagos academy where Akinsola began his career, has revealed that the Nigerian had multiple options on the table before choosing Cercle Brugge.

“There was interest from clubs in England, France and Italy, but Belgium was agreed as the best place for him,” Jpahhet told Footy Africa.

The Valiant FC official also praised the length of the contract, adding that it represents a good long-term project for the player.

“He signed a four-year deal with Cercle Brugge, which is a good move for him because of the plans the club have for him. The contract has an option for a fifth year, which I feel is good for his stability.”

The main tactical reason behind the switch, according to Jpahhet, was the promise of a freer role in Belgium than any of the alternatives could offer.

“There will be more freedom for him to play attacking football at Cercle. He is a fast, direct and pacy attacking player who can take on defenders, create chances for his teammates, and score goals too.”

The 23-year-old is versatile enough to operate on either flank, and joins a Cercle Brugge side desperate for attacking reinforcement.

The Green-Black currently sit 13th in the Belgian Pro League after two draws and two defeats from four matches, having failed to score in either of their last two outings.

Super Eagles pathway opens up in Belgium

The move also has clear implications for Akinsola's international ambitions with the Super Eagles. The Lagos-born winger last played international football for the Nigeria under-17s in 2018, making four appearances at that age level, and remains uncapped at senior international level.

Belgium's Pro League has become a productive Super Eagles pipeline in recent years, with Raphael Onyedika at Club Brugge, Christian Akpan at Genk and previous graduates including Victor Boniface (Union Saint-Gilloise) all having used it as a platform to catapult their careers to the next level.

For Akinsola, a Cercle Brugge project built specifically around giving him attacking licence offers exactly the kind of visibility his career has been missing.