Okwonkwo signs for Cittadella, makes return after three years

Orji Okwonkwo is back at Cittadella.

The club officially announced the 26-year-old striker on loan from Bologna on Thursday afternoon. Okwonkwo rejoins the Granata three years since playing his last game for the club.

The former Under-17 World Cup winner joined Cittadella prior to the start of the 2021/22, where he scored six goals in his first eight starts. In February 2022, Okwonkwo received a suspension after testing positive for clostebol, keeping him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Seven months later, he received a four-year ban by FIFA, but was later reduced to two years, allowing him to restart in 2024.

Prior to his first spell at Cittadella, Okwonkwo featured for Brescia, Bologna, Reggina and the Montreal Impact. After signing for Reggiana in 2024, the striker made 16 appearances in all competitions, but failed to find the net in any.

Okwonkwo becomes the first signing in the January transfer market for Cittadella as he looks to help the club avoid relegation to Serie C for a ninth straight season.

PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella