Photo Credit: Fédération Togolaise de Football
After previous reports of an imminent deal last week, the transfer of 23-year-old Togo and Cercle Brugge forward Kévin Denkey to Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati has been confirmed by MLS insider Tom Bogert. The GiveMeSport columnist reports that Denkey will arrive for a record transfer fee in the history of the American top division revealed to be $16.2 million.
Born in the Togolese capital of Lomé, Denkey moved to France as a child and developed in French football with Nîmes Olympique, with whom he made his debut as a 16-year-old in January 2017. Before leaving the club in 2021, Denkey made his senior debut for Togo in 2018 against neighbors Benin in November that year after scoring two goals in three matches at the 2018 Toulon Tournament.
It was in Belgian club football with Cercle Brugge where Denkey really began to find his stride. His breakthrough season was in the 2022-23 campaign where Denkey scored 13 goals in 40 matches across all competitions. However, Denkey more than doubled that tally in the 2023-24 season with a Belgian Pro League leading 27 goals in 38 league matches, helping Cercle Brugge qualify for the UEFA Europa League which brought him to the attention of bigger clubs.
Denkey ends his four-and-a-half season spell with Brugge having produced 62 goals and 20 assists in 147 appearances across all competitions. His transfer breaks the previous MLS record set by 2022 FIFA World Cup champion Thiago Almada when the Argentinean moved to Atlanta United from Vélez Sarsfield for $16 million in 2022.
FC Cincinnati had another strong regular season in the 2024 MLS campaign but once again fell short of expectations in the playoffs, losing in the first round to New York City FC. The club have lacked a strong presence up top with another African forward, Gabon's Aaron Boupendza, leaving this season after reported behavioral and discipline issues.
The Togo star scored the second goal for Les Éperviers in their 3-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday to conclude a disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Denkey has 8 goals in 33 appearances for his country since debuting in 2021.
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