New Chapter for Kenneth Omeruo as He Joins Romanian Club CFR Cluj
Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo has signed for Romanian side CFR Cluj, becoming the club’s seventh signing of the summer. The 31-year-old joins on a free transfer after parting ways with Turkish team Kasimpasa at the end of June.
Omeruo’s deal with Cluj will officially begin on 1 July. The move was confirmed by his agent Anamaria Prodan, who shared a photo of Omeruo with the club president Cristi Balaj just before the announcement.
He now becomes the sixth Nigerian to play for CFR Cluj, joining the likes of Ibe Ogbonna, Nwankwo Obiora, and Phillip Otele.
Standing at 1.85 metres, Omeruo brings valuable experience to coach Dan Petrescu’s squad. He will compete for a starting place in defence alongside players like Matei Ilie and Sheriff Sinyan.
Omeruo has played 69 times for Nigeria since making his debut in 2013. He was a key part of the Super Eagles squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations that year and later played in the Confederations Cup. In 2019, he scored his only international goal at AFCON in a match against Guinea, helping Nigeria secure a third-place finish.
Despite his long international career, Omeruo has not yet been called up by new Nigeria coach Eric Chelle.
His journey in Europe started with the youth team of Standard Liège before a move to Chelsea in 2012. Although he never played a senior match for Chelsea, he went on loan to clubs in the Netherlands, England, and Turkey. In 2019, Spanish side Leganés made his move permanent after a solid loan spell in La Liga. He returned to Kasimpasa in 2023 for €1 million.
Omeruo’s market value is currently estimated at €1.2 million, according to Transfermarkt, a drop from his €5 million peak in 2019.
Now in Romania, Omeruo will be hoping to make an impact at Cluj and possibly earn a return to the Super Eagles squad.
