LISBON: Club Brugge smashed the Belgian league transfer record when they signed Ukraine striker Roman Yaremchuk(pix) from Benfica for a reported 16 million euros on Tuesday.
Brugge said it has signed the 26-year-old until 2026.
That fee breaks the Belgium record for an incoming player of 11.74m euros which Standard Liege paid when it bought back defender Zinho Vanheusden in 2019.
It also breaks Brugge’s two-day old club record of 10mn euros to sign Nigerian defensive midfielder Raphael Onyedika from Danish club Midtjylland on August 28.
At the start of August, Brugge also set the Belgian record for biggest transfer fee received when they sold striker Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan for a reported 35 million euros.
Yaremchuk, who has 39 international caps, enjoyed four productive seasons in Belgium with Gent before moving to Lisbon where he only appeared twice in the league last season.
This season he has appeared three times as a substitute in Champions League qualifying, most recently as a substitute in the first leg as Benfica eliminated Dynamo Kyiv in the playoffs.
Brugge kick off their Champions League campaign at home to Leverkusen on September 7. The group also includes Atletico Madrid and Porto.-AFP