Odisha FC have brought on-board their loan signing from last season, Manuel Onwu, on a one-year deal ahead of ISL 7.
Growing up, Onwu was part of the youth academy at CD Tudelano (2002-2006), a club which currently competes in the Segunda División B (third tier of the Spanish league system). After making his senior debut with the club, Onwu moved to CA Osasuna B in the third tier between the years 2007 and 2012.
Onwu was eventually called up to the CA Osasuna senior team and made his La Liga debut in March 2012. He amassed 31 appearances in three seasons at the club and scored twice. Over the next few years, the forward turned up for Spanish lower division clubs Lleida Esportiu, Lorca FC and UCAM Murcia before finding his way to India and Bengaluru FC in the 2019-20 season as a replacement for BFC’s outgoing forward Miku.
Manuel did not end up scoring for BFC in six appearances and the Spaniard was loaned out to Odisha FC who had their in-form striker Aridane Santana ruled out for the season due to injury. With the forward repurposed to just finding the net much unlike Bengaluru where he was also expected to create, Onwu scored seven goals in four matches as Odisha FC finished a respectable sixth in the league.
The 32-year-old is the fourth foreign signing for Odisha FC ahead of the new season behind Australian defender Jacob Tratt and Brazilian forwards Diego Maurício and Marcelinho.
After Onwu devastated opponents when he came to Odisha, it was a no-brainer to bring him back for another year.
He showed he has elite goal scoring capabilities and was an excellent person that gelled with our locker room.
I look forward to the combo of Diego, Marcelinho and Onwu scoring a lot of goals this season.
Rohan Sharma, President, Odisha FC.
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