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Ebenezer Bajela
Nigeria international Paul Onuachu has opened up on why he turned down an offer to join Club Brugge despite interests from the Belgian Champions.
At the recently concluded transfer window, Onuachu was heavily linked with a move away from Genk and Club Brugge were among the clubs interested in signing the Nigerian, but he believes it would have been a bad move for him.
Onuachu has been one of the best strikers in the Belgian topflight in the last two seasons and is also the striker that has scored the most goals in the Jupiler League in the last two years.
Despite links with Brugge, Atletico Madrid, Lyon and Arsenal, the Super Eagles striker is set for another season at the Cegeka.
Speaking with Belgian publication, De Morgen, Onuachu admitted that indeed there was interest from Brugge, but added that dumping Genk for the reigning Belgian champions would not have made any sense.
“Club Brugge was interested in me, but why should I leave Genk for Brugge? That is a step sideways as far as I’m concerned and you don’t do that. The board didn’t want that either and was clear about that.
“It makes sense to me that I did not go to a domestic competitor,” Onuachu told De Morgen as per Voetbalkrant.
In 2021, Onuachu won the Ebony Shoe, which is awarded to Belgium’s best African player or player of African descent and also the Belgian Professional Footballer of The Year and top scorer’s awards.
He was the first Nigerian to win the award in 25 years, after scoring 33 goals to emerge as the top African goals scorer during the 2020/21 season.