Kenneth Omeruo spent last season on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa, where he made 28 appearances and was named in the Nigeria squad for this summer’s World Cup. He started two matches during the tournament, against Iceland and Argentina, and will now join La Liga side Leganes, who are managed by former Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino.
Good luck, @omeruo22! 👊https://t.co/RYlmSbnzPE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 15, 2018
Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo has today completed his loan move to Spanish first division side CD Leganés, where he will stay for at least the season, if not longer.
The tiny Madrid-based club, who will be contesting just their third season ever in the top flight, have a perviously reported €5m buy-option with a 20 per cent sell-on clause. That fee sounds tiny, but it would make Omeruo the joint-most expensive transfer in club history, joining José Manuel Arnaiz Díaz who arrived for the same from Barcelona earlier this summer.
Omeruo has two years left on his Chelsea contract as well, so if Leganés doesn’t work out for him, he’ll try again. This will the fifth different team in Omeruo’s Loan Army career, though he spent two seasons (not back-to-back) at Kasimpasa, and 18 months each at Middlesbrough and ADO Den Haag. He’s amassed over 150 professional apperances in those 6.5 years since signing for Chelsea, and collected 40 caps for Nigeria as well.
CD Leganés and @ChelseaFC reach an agreement for the loan of @omeruo22. His presentarion will be at ID Butarque next Friday (11:30 h. CEST) ➡️https://t.co/biiv5JmhVh pic.twitter.com/xQ7AsrKTR6
— C.D. Leganés 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@CDLeganes_en) August 15, 2018
He had been within a hair’s breath of the Chelsea first-team multiple times, most notably in the wake of the 2013 Confederations Cup, when a most unfortunately timed dislocated shoulder derailed any such plans.
He’s been a solid defender over the last three years while playing in Turkey. Now, he’s off to Spain, where the level is probably a bit higher. Good luck, Kenneth!
