Back

Ngonge presented as RCD Espanyol player

The loan signing gives his thoughts on his arrival at the club

Cyril Ngonge was officially presented as a RCD Espanyol player this Wednesday. Arriving in the winter transfer window on loan from Napoli, the Belgian striker expressed his excitement about starting this new adventure and acknowledged that his first impression of the club has been very positive.

"I had a great spel at Hellas Verona, which led to my transfer to Napoli. I haven't played there as much as I would have liked, due to injuries and tactical decisions. This has motivated me to come to Espanyol, a team that play a very intense style of football. I hope to rediscover the form I had in Verona," he explained at the presentation.

"I'm at a new club with new objectives, and I want to focus only on the positives."

The striker underlined the affection he has received in the dressing room, from the coaching staff, and from the club, and expressed his eagerness to start playing.

“I'm already thinking about the game against Villarreal, and I’m at the coach’s disposal.”

Meanwhile, Unai Ezcurra, Director of Sporting Processes, also spoke to the media. He was tasked with explaining the details of the winter transfer window activity, as Fran Garagarza continues to recover from illness.

Ezcurra began by reading a few lines of the thank-you message that Garagarza sent to the club:

“Thank you for the affection and support you have shown me during this time, and welcome to Cyril, as part of a move coordinated with the ownership, my team, and the coach.”

For Ezcurra, the winter transfer window has been “tough, because we had to work hard to complete the squad. We went after very specific profiles, which aren't easy to find in this market. We made an effort, thanks to the ownership, but it's not about spending for the sake of spending, but about bringing in the player you want. Spending more won't make us better. We have to give this squad the value it deserves for everything it has already achieved, and it's not easy to build on that," he told journalists.

"We were able to compete in the transfer market and we brought in what we wanted. We are satisfied because Cyril is a player who will give us solutions. It's an honour to have a player of his talent onboard, who will bring quality, versatility, and complement what we already had.”

“Our objective remains to improve every day and continue growing. That's what we're working on from the Sporting Director's office, together with the coach. Every year we have to be more demanding, and that's what will lead us to success.”