Former Nigeria U-17 defender Vince Osuji has completed a permanent transfer from Belgian giants Club Brugge to Norwegian top-flight side Tromsø IL.
A source close to the player exclusively told Footy-Africa that Osuji is already looking forward to starting his career with Tromsø after a disappointing spell at Club Brugge.
“Ordinarily, as every footballer does, you want to play and feature in as many games as possible, but that was not the case with him, and no one would be happy with that,” he said. “However, he holds nothing against the club and will always have love for them, but now his focus is on his new team and the games ahead.“
“He has played in Scandinavia before. In fact, he was there before moving to Brugge, so the environment will not be new to him. Osuji made good progress during his time with Kalmar in Sweden and will look to establish himself again. It will not be easy, but he has always shown how determined he is.“
“This move is another challenge and, even though he had offers elsewhere, he felt Tromsø would help him get regular first-team football and show what he can do.”
The 20-year-old centre-back brings his spell in Belgium to an end after a season and a half, having joined Club Brugge from Swedish side Kalmar FF in January 2025 following an impressive six-month stint in Sweden.
Osuji was initially integrated into Club Brugge’s development side, Club NXT U23, where he made 28 appearances and scored one goal. He also featured three times for the senior team, although he was unable to establish himself in the club’s league side.
Now, the Nigerian defender will look to kick-start his career with Tromsø, where he is expected to have a stronger opportunity to gain regular first-team football.
The move comes at an important stage of the Norwegian season, with Tromsø pushing for the Eliteserien title. The club currently sit third in the table with 34 points, seven behind leaders Bodø/Glimt.
Tromsø are also hoping to register Osuji in time for their UEFA Europa Conference League clash against Brighton on Thursday, although his immediate availability will depend on the completion of the necessary registration processes.
At just 20, the centre-back still has time on his side, and regular football in Norway could provide the platform he needs to rediscover the form that first attracted interest from clubs across Europe during his breakthrough spell at Kalmar.
