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Brian Idowu: Lokomotiv Moscow loan Nigeria defender to rivals FC Khimki
The Super Eagles left-back will spend the 2020-21 Russian top-flight campaign with the newly-promoted club on a temporary deal
FC Khimki have announced the signing of Brian Idowu on a season-long loan from Lokomotiv Moscow for the 2020-21 Russian Premier League season.
The newly-promoted club, who finished second in the Russian second division last term, added the 28-year-old Nigeria defender to their defensive ranks on Friday, ahead of their league opener against CSKA Moscow on Saturday.
Idowu joins FC Khimki with the ambition of gathering regular playing time after he was restricted to 12 Premier League matches at Lokomotiv Moscow last season.
He is the second African player in Dmitry Gunko's team after Ivory Coast's Mohamed Konate.
“The Red and Blacks rented Lokomotiv defender Brian Idowu. The loan agreement with the Nigerian defender is calculated until the end of the season,” a club statement read.
“We welcome Brian to Khimki and wish him successful performances for our team.”
Immediately he put pen to paper on Friday, Idowu joined his new teammates in preparing for Saturday’s home outing at the Rodina Stadium.
The Super Eagles defender, who was born in Russia to Nigerian parents, has spent his entire career in the European country so far.
After developing his game at Zenit St. Petersburg's youth academy, the left-back moved to Amkar Perm in 2010 where he later made his debut in the Russian Premier League two years later.
He spent eight years in the city of Perm which includes a loan spell with Dynamo St Petersburg in the 2013–14 season, however, he left Amkar Perm in July 2018 to sign a three-year with Lokomotiv Moscow.
Since he arrived in Moscow, the 28-year-old has struggled for regular action as he featured in 25 league games across two seasons.
On the international scene, Idowu’s last outing for the Super Eagles was at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia, where he played in every game before their group stage exit.
His last invitation to Gernot Rohr’s team was in September 2019 but he was an unused substitute in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw against Ukraine in an international friendly.
