Cercle Brugge have officially completed the signing of Nigerian winger Tunde Akinsola from Portuguese side AVS Futebol SAD, with the 23-year-old putting pen to paper on a contract until June 2030.
The Belgian Pro League club announced the transfer through a statement released on their official website on Thursday, revealing that the agreement also includes an option to extend Akinsola’s stay by another year.
Akinsola joins Cercle Brugge after attracting interest from several clubs following a decent individual campaign with AVS, despite the Portuguese side’s relegation from the Liga Portugal at the end of the 2025/26 season.
The winger initially joined AVS on loan in January 2024 before making the transfer permanent later that year after the club secured promotion to Portugal’s top flight. He registered five goals and one assist during his first full season and followed that up with one goal and four assists in 34 appearances during the 2025/26 campaign.
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His performances reportedly attracted interest from English Championship side Blackburn Rovers, who were also said to have made an offer, but Cercle Brugge ultimately won the race for his signature.
Akinsola began his football journey in Nigeria with Valiant FC before moving to Sweden at the age of 17 to join Vasalund.
In 2022, he moved to Spain and signed for Real Valladolid, initially featuring for the reserve team before progressing into the first-team setup. He subsequently made his La Liga debut against Sevilla in 2023.
The left-footed attacker moved to AVS at the beginning of 2024, where his pace, explosiveness and technical ability quickly established him as one of the club’s standout players.
Capable of playing on either flank, Akinsola is expected to provide Cercle Brugge with additional attacking options as they look to improve their fortunes in the Belgian Pro League.
Cercle Brugge have endured a difficult start to the 2026/27 campaign, recording two draws and two defeats from their opening four matches. After scoring five goals in their first two games, they have failed to find the net in their last two outings.
Technical Director Luciano Murchio believes Akinsola’s qualities make him a strong fit for the club’s playing style.
“Tunde is a strong one-v-one player who can be very dangerous in the final third and in transition moments,” Murchio said.
“Thanks to his versatility, he can play across several attacking positions and adds extra quality to our offensive options. He is the type of attacker who fits the way Cercle wants to play, and we are convinced he will create many dangerous attacking moments.”
Akinsola will join up with his new teammates once all administrative matters relating to his transfer have been completed, as he begins a new chapter of his career in Belgium.
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