Collins Sichenje linked with loan move to Finland

Kenyan international and AIK defender Collins Sichenje has been linked with a loan move to Finland according to fresh reports making rounds in Sweden ahead of the new season that is set to kick off next weekend.

Having been linked with fellow Swedish top-tier side IF Brommapojkarna and Helsingborgs IF, who were relegated to the second tier at the end of last season, it has now emerged that the player could be shipped out to Finnish top tier side KuPS.

According to Swedish publication Sportbladet, AIK are only waiting to complete the signing of Lamin Dabo from Spanish side CE Constància before putting the green lights to Sichenje’s loan move to KuPs who have won the Finnish championship six times, the Finnish Cup 4 times and the Finnish League Cup once.

The publication however noted that should Dabo’s transfer fail to go through, Sichenje, who has seen playing minutes hard to come by in the starting eleven, might stay to provide defensive cover after Aboubakar Keita’s injury which necessitated Dabo’s signing.

“AIK has agreed with the Spanish club and with Dabo himself on a contract. What remains is for all the papers to go through before midnight. In that case, the transfer will be official either on Tuesday evening or tomorrow.

At the same time, AIK in turn agrees with Finnish KuPS on a loan of center back Collins Sichenje. The Finnish transfer window will be open a little longer than the Swedish one, so there is no stress in getting the transfer done on Tuesday.

There, it must also be about AIK first having to finish with Dabo, before they can release the centre-back

Everything indicates that Dabo will be ready, but if all the papers are not completed in time regarding the midfielder, it could be that the Kenyan center back stays,” the report stated.

Since Andreas Brännström took over the club at the start of the year, the Kenyan has had limited playing time and missed all the team's four matches in the Swedish Cup as AIK got eliminated at the quarters.

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The former Green Commandos midfielder was unveiled at AIK last year in May after penning a four-and-a-half-year deal that is set to see him at the club until 2026.

Since his move, the 19-year-old has made only 12 competitive appearances for AIK, 12 in the league and four in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

He was set to join Harambee Stars in camp ahead of the team's international friendly against Iran on May 28 but an injury ruled him out.

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If the loan deal materializes, Erick "Marcelo" Ouma will be the only Kenyan up for contention at the club in the coming season as opposed to last season when three Kenyans were contending with Henry Meja having left for a loan spell to Norrby in January.

AIK kick off their campaign on Sunday, April 2, 2023, with an away match against Halmstad BK.