Antwerp took a big hit, but often on a rental basis:...

Of all clubs from First Division A, Royal Antwerp FC was the most devastating in the closing days of the (extended) summer mercato. The oldest club in the country welcomed a few more boys with name and fame. A conscious strategy, claims Sports / Football magazine.

‘Jordan Lukaku (26), Cristian Benavente (26), Nana Ampomah (24), Jérémy Gelin (24) and Guy Mbenza (20): these are the five new names that Antwerp added to its core at the end of the transfer market’ , sums up S/VM on. ‘Except for Gelin, a right-footed central defender who was trained at Rennes, all acquaintances from the Jupiler Pro League.’

Just like previous newcomers Jean Butez, Birger and Louis Verstraete, Nill De Pauw, Bruny Nsimba and Pieter Gerkens. Exception: second goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. Antwerp has taken a good look at the (old) past of Anderlecht, when they also preferred to take boys away from the competition in Brussels than from distant foreign countries, ‘compares the weekly. ‘Guys whose qualities and flaws could be estimated very well in advance, rather than guessing.’

Although that ‘gambling’ can be called quite relative. ‘Also striking: of the five newcomers on deadline day, four came with a lease,’ notes S/VM on. ‘At De Bosuil, they don’t do crazy things, also because of the financial fair play and the growth of the club.’