DR Congo midfield linchpin Charles Pickel moves to La Liga

Congolese international midfielder Charles Pickel will be playing in Spain’s La Liga after his transfer to Espanyol was announced by the Barcelona club on Wednesday.

 

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The Swiss-born defensive midfield joins from Italian Serie A side Cremonese for an undisclosed transfer fee. His contract with Espanyol will run until the end of the ongoing 2025-26 campaign with an option for the club to extend Pickel’s deal through next season.

Pickel was a regular in the Cremonese midfield during his three seasons with the club, joining before the 2022-23 Serie A campaign and enduring relegation before helping Cremonese regain promotion back to the top flight. The 28-year-old returns to the Iberian Peninsula after previously spending the 2021-22 season with Portuguese club Famalicão.

The FC Basel youth product saw his club career receive a significant boost once he decided to represent the Leopards of DR Congo. Previously a Swiss youth international, Pickel decided to change his allegiance to the DRC and was called up for the first time to the Leopards in September 2023 during 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

He quickly became a favorite of coach Sébastien Desabre and played a key role in helping the Leopards finish fourth place at the finals of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast. Pickel’s ability to win the ball in the midfield and distribute from his defensive position is highly valued by Desabre, who has helped the Congolese team discover their full potential during his tenure.

Espanyol finished fourteenth on the La Liga table last season but have gotten off to a positive start, defeating Atletico Madrid in their opening game before drawing 2-2 at Real Socieded on Sunday. The club from Catalonia next host Osasuna on Sunday, August 31.