Five‑year pact fuels Frankfurt’s midfield rebuild with Onyedika

A five‑year contract until June 2031 sees Nigeria international midfielder Raphael Onyedika join German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, announced on Sunday, where he will wear the number 25 shirt. The 25‑year‑old defensive midfielder arrives from Club Brugge after four seasons in Belgium, having made 268 senior appearances and 24 Champions League matches.

Board member for sport Markus Krösche said: “Raphael Onyedika has not only impressed us with his physicality and strategic understanding of the game, but above all with his extraordinary consistency.” The Nigerian international impressed the board with his reliability and is viewed as a key building block for the squad.

During his time in Belgium, Onyedika collected a trophy‑laden résumé, winning the Belgian league title twice with Club Brugge, as well as the Belgian Cup, the Belgian Super Cup and the Danish Cup with FC Midtjylland. These honours underline his experience in both domestic and European competitions.

In total, the defensive midfielder has made 268 senior competitive appearances, including 24 UEFA Champions League matches over the past three seasons, and has earned 26 caps for Nigeria, featuring at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. His extensive experience adds depth to Frankfurt’s midfield options.

Across his four years in Belgium, Onyedika was consistently one of the most frequently used players, recording 40, 49, 52 and 42 appearances across all competitions in each successive season. Such regular playing time highlights his durability and importance to previous squads.

He could make his Frankfurt debut in the DFB Cup first round against fifth‑tier side St. Tönis on 21 August, before travelling to Union Berlin for the Bundesliga opener on 29 August. These fixtures will provide early opportunities to integrate him into the German side.

Founded on 8 March 1899, Eintracht Frankfurt have a historic pedigree, with one German Bundesliga title, five DFB‑Pokal wins and two UEFA Europa League trophies, and they have spent 57 seasons in the top flight, making them the seventh longest‑serving club in the league.