Hungarian side Debreceni VSC have completed the signing of Nigerian midfielder Olamilekan Abdulkareem from Ikonnect Football Academy, with Footy-Africa gathering that the player is not going straight into the first team.
The deal was completed on Sunday following successful negotiations between the two clubs, with Debreceni securing the services of the highly-rated 18-year-old.
Footy-Africa understands that Debreceni had been monitoring Olamilekan Abdulkareem for some time before finally reaching an agreement with Ikonnect Football Academy.
The financial and contractual details of the deal were not disclosed.
Olamilekan Abdulkareem is a defensive midfielder who has now joined Debreceni, with the Hungarian club describing him as a player particularly strong in winning possession and defensive duels.
The 18-year-old will initially join Debreceni’s U19 setup and compete in Hungary’s third tier as he begins adapting to European football and his new environment.
The move is expected to give Olamilekan Abdulkareem regular competitive football while allowing him to continue his development before making the step up to Debreceni’s senior team.
Olamilekan Abdulkareem becomes the latest Ikonnect Football Academy prospect to secure a move to Hungary in recent weeks.
He follows Nigerian defender Aliyu Alhassan, who completed a move to Hungarian club ZTE.
The growing number of Ikonnect players moving to Hungary highlights the academy’s increasing role in providing young Nigerian talents with pathways into European football.
For Olamilekan Abdulkareem, the move to Debreceni represents an important next step in his development as he begins his European adventure in Hungary.
