Foot Mercato understands that Malamine Efekele’s (19) loan spell from AS Monaco to Cercle Brugge is set to be extended.

Behind the likes of Wissam Ben Yedder, Folarin Balogun and Breel Embolo in the pecking order at Monaco, Efekele understandably saw his first-team opportunities limited, very limited. The Diagonale academy product didn’t make a single appearance for Les Monégasques last season before heading out on loan to satellite club Cercle Brugge in Belgium, as many of Monaco’s academy products do.

There, he was afforded game time, playing 10 games for Cercle, scoring once. With ASM once again in the market for a striker, reportedly FC Metz’s Georges Mikautadze, Efekele would likely once again find his first-team choices severely limited, should he return to the Principality.

As a result, he is now set to stay at Cercle Brugge for another season. The France youth international was at the Belgian club for the return of pre-season training ahead of the officialisation of an extension of his loan deal.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle