Antwerp hoping to keep hold of Nice’s Calvin Stengs | OneFootball

Het Nieuwsblad are reporting that Antwerp are hoping to keep on loan midfielder Calvin Stengs. The new Belgian champions loaned Stengs from Nice without a purchase option, but it is reported that they will look to strike a deal with the French club to make the move permanent. Stengs originally came in as a winger, but due to injuries ended up playing in central midfield. It was in this position that he actually played his best football for Antwerp. With European football on the cards next season, they could certainly do with a player of Stengs quality remaining in the squad.

The former AZ Alkmaar man played 31 times for Mark Van Bommel’s team as they won the cup and the league. In that time, he scored three goals and provided nine assists. Stengs burst onto the scene in the Netherlands where he made 113 appearances for AZ, scoring 24 goals and providing 24 assists.

This earned him a move to Nice, however the 24-year-old was unable to replicate the form he had shown in the Eredevisie. Stengs only scored once and provided one assist in 32 games for the French side. He cost them €15m back in the summer of 2021, so Antwerp will certainly have to pay a fair amount to sign him permanently. His current deal in France expires in 2026.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson