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MIAMI - It was a playoff game that sealed it for Kevin Denkey. The now-FC Cincinnati forward was still playing for Belgian side Cercle Brugge at the time, when the MLS club made their interest known. He was, perhaps understandably, a little hesitant at the time. After all, this was a player born in Togo, who had played in first France, then Belgium. MLS seemed a million miles away. But he saw the quality on display, the potential of the side. And that sold him.
"I saw a game against New York in the playoffs. I saw videos. There are a lot of good players, and if you can have this connection together, I'm sure that we can do something," Denkey said at MLS's Media Day.
That was enough. A month later, Denkey agreed personal terms with the MLS club for a league-record transfer fee of $16.2 million. He will lead Cincinnati's line for at least three years, with an option for a fourth. This may not be the highest-profile incoming move in American soccer history, but it is the most expensive. With it will come immense expectations.
But Denkey, who scored 22 goals in the Belgian Pro League in the 2023-24 campaign, sees no pressure with the price tag.
"It's nice. But I don't choose it, and it means they trust me. If it was less, it would be the same for me because I need to perform. Adding something to the team is the most important thing for me," Denkey said.
Still, despite his reservations. There will be some expectations here. Cincinnati was good last year in the MLS regular season. They finished third in the Eastern Conference and were an outsider's pick to win the whole thing. Lucho Acosta was a fringe MVP candidate, and the ninth-year expansion franchise defied expectations after selling star striker Brandon Vazquez to Liga MX side to Monterrey a month before the season started. There were, perhaps, two major factors that saw the club fall short. First was the damning season-ending knee injury sustained by star defender Matt Miazga. Secondly were shortcomings in front of goal. Cincinnati created chances in spades, but were infuriatingly wasteful at times.
Denkey, then, is perhaps the player to take them over the edge. Yes, they can point to defensive issues for last year's failure - and they might yet lose Acosta who is reportedly the subject of interest from Argentine side Estudiantes. But what this team might need more than anything is a razor-sharp edge to bolster the attack. Cincinnati's offense went quiet on the biggest of stages during the back end of the season. They found the net just twice across the three-game series against NYCFC - despite generating 7.6 expected goals. Or, more simply, when it mattered the most, they couldn't put the ball in the net.
The big money man is the natural response. And the stats make for fine reading. Twenty-two goals in the Belgian top flight last season, 27 in all competitions. Ten in 17 games before moving to the United States. His 0.79 goals and assists per 90 minutes in 2023-24 was among the highest for starting strikers across Europe. All of this came from 8.34 expected goals. He routinely outperforms the stats.
"I like to score, to help the team, to assist, I can use both feet," Denkey said.
And then, there's the appeal of America. Denkey is a big basketball fan. He idolizes Lebron James. He recognizes the emergence, too, of MLS. It is now the second most-followed professional soccer league in the United States - behind only the Premier League. Some of his preconceptions, about America being less relevant in the global soccer landscape, have now been done away with, he admitted.
"How I see the MLS before, it was like, for me, in my mind, there's a lot of sport here in America and soccer was, maybe, the last one. But I came to see, to watch Cincinnati versus New York and I saw a lot of supporters. It was amazing for me, like, 22,000, and it was a lot. And I saw that MLS is the second league in the (English) Premier League in the world in fans. What was in my mind is not the same anymore now," Denkey said.
More specifically, though, Denkey was driven by the allure of the project. Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan made it clear to the striker that the club has big ambitions heading into 2025, Denkey said. They truly believe that they can compete on all fronts. Silverware is a real possibility here.
"How ambitious they are made me feel like I'm at the right place," Denkey told GOAL. "There are a lot of chances for a striker like me. They have open play, a good team, and good players."
How this all pans out remains to be seen. Acosta's potential departure would be a big loss. The attacking duo would, in theory, be one of the best in the league from day one. There is also the undeniable truth that the league isn't always kind to foreign No. 9s. Olivier Giroud struggled immensely after arriving at LAFC. Last year's Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke needed 18 months to fully find his shooting boots. Denkey, for his part, won't pin a number on goals or assists for himself this season. Winning is the goal, he insists.
Still, Denkey has an understanding of the culture, has bought into the vision, and - despite the hefty price tag - could turn out to be worth every cent.
