ZIMBABWE international midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has been linked with a move to Belgian Pro League side Anderlecht in a deal reportedly worth around €2 million.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 22-year-old former Bantu Rovers and AS Nancy player spent the last two seasons at Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesee, with whom he has a running contract until 2018.
But according to reports from Belgium this week, Anderlecht are eager to activate his release clause with an impending €2 million bid for the talented central midfielder, who helped Zimbabwe qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Anderlecht coach René Weiler sees Nakamba as the perfect replacement for Belgium international Steven Defour, who is desperate to leave after falling out with a section of the club’s spectators, who have never forgiven his past with arch-rivals Standard Liege.
Defour (28), who won two league titles with Anderlecht’s major rivals, Standard Liege, before leaving for Porto in 2011, is being strongly linked with a move to English Premier League side Southampton.
Southampton are reportedly set to make a bid of around £6 million for the Belgian ace, who they hope fills the midfield hole vacated by the sale of Kenyan international Victor Wanyama to Tottenham.
Belgian publication Het Laatste Nieuws reported this week that although Anderlecht would have wanted Defour to stay,. they have already accepted the fact that he is set to leave and have identified Nakamba as the ideal replacement.
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“Anderlecht are desperate to keep Defour, but they have already identified a replacement,” reports Het Laatste Nieuws.
“Marvelous Nakamba, a 22-year-old Zimbabwean from Vitesse is an all-rounder in central midfield. He is strong defensively, and he also has the necessary footballing qualities, an ideal profile coach René Weiler has in mind. Although his market value amounts to about €2 million, the Belgian record champions with more money from the imminent sale of Defour will have to come over the bridge to get him to Brussels.”
Nakamba joined Vitesse from French second-tier side AS Nancy at the start of the 2014/15 season, but took time to find his feet, making only eight appearances, all off the bench. But all that changed last season for the Bulawayo-born former Bantu Rovers central midfielder, as he established himself in Vitesse’s starting 11 with 38 appearances and scoring once against local rivals De Graafschap in a 2-2 draw.
So good was Nakamba last season that he was linked with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray, while Chelsea scouts were also reportedly keeping an eye on the young midfielder.
Vitesse have a strong connection with Chelsea, with a constant stream of players treading the path between the two clubs.
Vitesse manager Peter Bosz went further by comparing him to Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tioté, who played for FC Twente before moving to England.
A move to Belgium would see Nakamba linking up with fellow Warriors star Knowledge Musona, who has been in top form for his club KV Oostende.
