Premier League trio Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were all linked with Club Brugge goal-machine David Okereke.
There is a reason why David Okereke has been labelled the ‘new Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’.
Like Arsenal’s number 14, the 21-year-old is a striker who makes goal-scoring look as simple as taking a breath. He is not only blessed with rapid pace but remarkable composure in the final third, a fearsome cocktail of attributes which manes the Nigerian U23 star one of the most exciting forward talents to emerge out of Africa in many a year.
According to the Sun in May, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were all interested in luring Okereke to the Premier League after he produced 10 goals and 12 assists for Spezia in Serie B last season.
But rather than put his reputation on the line with a move to Molineux or St James’ Park, Okereke instead took a sensible sideways step. Club Brugge won the race for his signature, paying £7.2 million to fill the void left by the departure of Wesley Moraes's move to Aston Villa.
Now, Okereke has big shoes to fill but he’s certainly made his mark after just a few weeks in Belgium. After three Jupiler League games, the left-winger-turned-centre-forward has found the net four times already, forming a fearsome partnership with Brighton loanee Percy Tau.
"I told Okereke to have fun but not only that. He also has tasks to fulfil,” manager Philippe Clement told Walfoot after he opened the scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 win away at Oostende. "He's a great guy, who works hard for the team and likes to score.”
Okereke’s decision to prove himself in Belgium looks an inspired one. Keep up this form and the Premier League clubs will be flocking to him once again.
The ‘new Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’ could be fighting the original in the goalscoring charts very soon.
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