Al-Ittihad ‘to sweeten’ bid for Raphael Onyedika after Brugge unmoved | OneFootball

Al-Ittihad’s pursuit of Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika has cooled after an unconvincing bid left Club Brugge unmoved, Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad reports.

Fabrizio Romano has said Brugge value Onyedika at 10 million euros, with his contract expiring at the end of next season.

Earlier reports had claimed Al-Ittihad were competing with Eintracht Frankfurt for the 25-year-old during the current window.

To land the midfielder, the Saudi club would need to improve their financial package, particularly as they look for a replacement for Brazilian Fabinho, whose deal ended last season.

Onyedika is primarily a defensive midfielder and can operate as an anchorman or in central defence. He has been with Club Brugge since 2022.

His performances in Belgium have secured him regular Nigeria call-ups, with 26 caps, 3 goals and one assist.

Several defensive midfielders have been linked with Al-Ittihad, notably Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat of Fenerbahce and Egyptian Marwan Attia of Al-Ahly.

Source: Goal.com