Nigeria defender Vince Osuji leaves Club Brugge for Tromsø IL

Nigerian defender Vince Osuji has left Club Brugge and joined Norwegian side Tromsø IL, ending his spell with the Belgian club after struggling to establish himself in the first team.

The 20-year-old centre-back has now moved to Norway, where Tromsø have confirmed his arrival as they look to develop his potential.

Osuji joined Club Brugge in January 2025 after making an impression during his time with Swedish club Kalmar FF.

He had moved to Kalmar in the summer of 2024 and quickly showed his ability in the Allsvenskan. The defender made 15 appearances in Sweden and scored once during his spell with the club.

Those performances attracted the attention of Club Brugge, who decided to bring him to Belgium midway through the 2024-25 campaign.

However, Osuji found opportunities with the Belgian club’s senior side limited.

He made only three appearances for Club Brugge’s first team during his time at the club, although he featured much more regularly for the reserve team, making 28 appearances.

The limited first-team involvement has now led to a change in direction for the young defender, with Tromsø offering him the opportunity to continue his development in Norway.

Tromsø have confirmed the signing and are understood to see Osuji as a player with significant room for improvement.

The Norwegian club’s sporting director Lars Petter Andressen believes the defender has the ability to develop further and take the next step in his career.

For Osuji, the move provides a fresh start after a relatively limited first-team role in Belgium.

Club Brugge are also understood to have protected their interests in the deal. The Belgian side reportedly negotiated a clause that would allow them to benefit financially from any future transfer involving the defender.

Osuji will now continue his career with Tromsø after leaving Club Brugge, with the Norwegian club hoping he can fulfil the potential he showed during his earlier spell in Sweden.

His move to Norway marks the latest stage in a career that has already taken him from Sweden to Belgium and now to Norway at the age of 20.