Kevin Denkey has played his final game in a Cercle Brugge shirt. In a fitting send off, the Togolese forward signed off with a goal in the sides 1-1 draw with Gent last weekend. The striker has scored 15 goals in 28 games so far this season, adding to the 28 in 39 he grabbed last campaign. The question for Cercle is now that Denkey is off to the MLS to join FC Cincinnati, where will the goals come from?
Cercle fans expect the side to make some sort of signing to bolster the strike force in January. Only Abdoul Outtara has scored more than one goal for the club outside of Denkey in the league this season, and he only has two. Kazeem Olaigbe has been in good form in Europe, with four goals in five games in the Conference League. He is one of a number of players who could step up in Denkey’s absence.
Of the strikers currently in the squad, the burden will fall on both Paris Brunner and Felipe Augusto. The latter scored a fine goal in the Conference League last time out, but has yet to really showcase his talents. The 20-year-old Brazilian has only scored five goals for Cercle since joining in January, playing 44 games in the process. Three of those have come this season. Brunner is clearly a very talented footballer, yet his decision making can be a source of major frustration. Knowing when to pass, dribble and shoot are things the forward needs to work on. If the teenager can get a better level of decision making into his game over the next few weeks, we could really see him emerge in the Belgian Pro League.
Outside of the strikers, Cercle fans will want to see Alan Minda start to fire again. The young winger was a breath of fresh air with his electric pace last season, but appears to be struggling for some form this time around. After scoring eight in 39 last season he only has two this year, with both coming in the Conference League. The 21-year-old will certainly need to step up with Denkey gone.
With the side sitting in 18th place in the league, the club can hardly sit around and hope that one of these aforementioned players come good by the end of the year. They need an instant injection of quality up front who can bring at least half of what Denkey offered. It may well be the difference between relegation and survival.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
