AFTER FOUR YEARS IN BELGIUM, DOES THE FORMER HULL CITY AND PETERBOROUGH MIDFIELDER DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE AT ENGLISH FOOTBALL?
Carlos Avina, the previous Director of Football at Cercle Brugge, once told me and my Belgian Football Podcast colleagues that he thought Leonardo Lopes was one of the most underestimated players in the Belgian Pro League. Avina and Cercle paid €2 million in 2020 to sign the Hull City midfielder. The now-25-year-old signed a four-year contract with the club and has made 109 appearances for them, scoring five goals and contributing seven assists.
Avina was not mistaken about Lopes. The midfielder has been an absolute mainstay in the Cercle side under numerous head coaches, all of whom have attempted to implement a counter-pressing system in which the Portuguese midfielder has thrived. However, with his contract expiring in the summer, it remains to be seen whether Lopes would return for another season in English football. He represented Wigan, Gillingham, Hull City, and Peterborough in the English Football League. He made 108 appearances with Posh, scoring four goals and providing four assists. Prior to joining the Cercle project, he appeared 44 times for Hull in the Championship and domestic competitions.
Cercle would love to have him stay and will be disappointed if he decides to depart for free in the summer. Other Belgian clubs will undoubtedly be interested in signing the midfielder, who has demonstrated that he has much to offer any team in the league.
However, as is customary for Cercle, they have already brought up players to replace Lopes if he leaves. Highly touted Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis is returning from a lengthy injury layoff, and they also signed talented Nils De Wilde from Anderlecht last summer.
