Club Brugge manager Ivan Leko has played down exit talks regarding Raphael Onyedika amid lingering uncertainty about the midfielder’s future at the club, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles midfielder has been linked with a move to Galatasaray this month, with reports even surfacing that a deal had been agreed between both clubs.
Meanwhile, English Premier League club Aston Villa have also expressed their interest in signing the defensive midfielder as a reinforcement in midfield following the injury suffered by Boubacar Kamara, which could rule him out of the season.
Onyedika’s compatriot Victor Osimhen also openly expressed desire for the Club Brugge midfielder to move to Turkey in an interview earlier in the week.
Although the Belgian club have yet to fully announce an agreement with any club, it is widely expected that the Nigerian midfielder will leave the club this month if a substantial bid comes in for him.
The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive outing at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament, where he scored two goals as the Super Eagles finished with the bronze medal.
Ivan Leko stance on Onyedika
Club Brugge return to action in the Belgian league this weekend when they face Zulte Waregem, four days after their impressive 4-1 win at Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking ahead of the clash, manager Ivan Leko expects Onyedika to return to action for the club and remained optimistic about the midfielder’s chances of remaining at the club beyond this month.
“Nobody told me he’s leaving. What I’ve seen? He’s training with us again, he’s in good spirits, and he’s behaving normally. I see no reason why Rapha can’t play. He’ll be in the squad”, the Croatian said.
“People are chattering and speculating about transfers, but I’m staying calm. We’ll see what happens. We’ll only know more when the transfer window is over. But I’m not worried about Onyedika. I’ve been in football for thirty years: I’m not stupid.”
Onyedika could make his return to action after his return from international duties later today when the Blue-Black welcome Zulte Waregem to the Jan Breydel Stadium, although it is not certain if he will get the nod from the start.
