Nigeria national team forward Cyriel Dessers completed a permanent transfer to Italy’s Serie A with his move to newly promoted Cremonese this week. The 27-year-old moves from Belgian club KRC Genk for a transfer fee of over $7 million after plenty of speculation about an impending move. Dessers starred on loan at Dutch club Feyenoord during the 2021-22 season with nine goals in the Eredivisie and a competition leading ten goals in the UEFA Europa Conference League, helping the Rotterdam side to the final where they lost to Serie A club AS Roma.
The Belgian-born striker’s exploits last season saw him break into the lineup for the Nigeria national team after making his debut in a 2020 friendly against Tunisia. Dessers scored his first Super Eagles goal against Mexico in late May and figures to play a role moving forward in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. His move to Italian football will be the first venture in his club career outside the Benelux having spent his entire career to date in Belgian and Dutch football.
