Genk record buy Rafiu Durosinmi eyes Belgian Golden Boot: Meet his top 5 rivals

Super Eagles forward Rafiu Durosinmi did not need long to announce his ambitions at KRC Genk, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigeria international scored on his official debut against Zulte Waregem on the opening weekend of the 2026-27 Belgian Pro League season. Durosinmi also won the Jupiler Man of the Match award and then set himself an even bigger target of finishing the season as the league’s top scorer.

The former Viktoria Plzen ace headed Genk in front after 39 minutes from Junya Ito’s cross, but his goal was not enough to secure victory. Zulte Waregem scored twice late in the match to win 2-1.

The 23-year-old arrived from Pisa for a reported €10.5 million, making him Genk’s record signing and taking over the role previously held by Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare, who won the Belgian Golden Boot before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Durosinmi could hardly have asked for a better personal start. It was the type of moment he had imagined since signing for the club.

“Actually, ever since I signed my contract with Genk,” Durosinmi told DAZN after the game as per Voetbalkrant. “I have always dreamed of that.”

The result, however, took much of the joy away.

“Of course I would have preferred to win, because then this would have been a great moment to celebrate,” he said.

Genk’s late collapse did not change his view of the squad. Durosinmi said the players were trying to take responsibility and spoke positively about the unity inside the club. His personal target is much clearer.

“I want to score, I want to finish high in the top scorer standings, and I also want to go for the top scorer title,” he said.

That ambition is understandable given his record before joining Pisa. Durosinmi scored 35 goals in 86 appearances for Viktoria Plzen before his move to Italy, although he managed only one Serie A goal during Pisa’s 2025-26 campaign. Genk will hope the powerful 1.92m centre-forward can reproduce the scoring form he showed in the Czech Republic.

His immediate goal has now made the race for the 2026-27 scoring crown even more interesting. Five other forwards stand out as serious challengers.

Nicolò Tresoldi, Club Brugge

Durosinmi’s clearest early rival is the man who set the standard last season. Nicolò Tresoldi finished the 2025-26 Belgian Pro League campaign as the league’s top scorer, with 19 goals for Club Brugge. He scored 13 during the regular season and added six more during the Champions’ play-offs. None of those 19 goals came from penalties.

The 21-year-old German-Italian striker also provided five assists in 40 league appearances, giving him 24 direct goal contributions. Tresoldi therefore enters the new season with something Durosinmi does not have yet, and that is proof that he can sustain a high scoring rate across a full Belgian campaign.

Club Brugge also gives him a strong attacking platform. The champions scored freely last season, and Tresoldi’s ability to operate as the main striker makes him an obvious candidate to defend his scoring crown. A second straight Golden Boot would put serious pressure on Durosinmi and the rest of the chasing pack.

Promise David, Union Saint-Gilloise

Promise David brings another strong scoring record into the new campaign. The 25-year-old Canadian-Nigerian striker scored nine goals in 24 Belgian Pro League appearances in 2025-26, playing 1,493 minutes. His previous Belgian league season was even more productive. David scored 19 goals in 34 league appearances in 2024-25 as Union Saint-Gilloise won the title.

That history explains why he is considered one of the leading candidates for the 2026-27 scoring award. Current top-scorer odds also place David among the leading names in the race, ahead of several established Belgian forwards.

Union will again ask the powerful forward to lead the line. His size, strength and ability to finish inside the penalty area give him a different profile from Tresoldi and Durosinmi. A return to his 19-goal league form would put David firmly in the Golden Boot fight.

Mihajlo Cvetković, Anderlecht

Anderlecht’s young Serbian striker offers another route to the scoring crown. Mihajlo Cvetković, 19, scored nine goals and supplied two assists in 29 Belgian Pro League appearances during the 2025-26 season. He played 1,625 minutes in the competition.

Three of his goals came during a productive late-season spell. He scored against Union Saint-Gilloise, found the net against Club Brugge and scored again against Union in the Belgian Cup final on May 14. That run showed why Anderlecht see the teenager as an important attacking player.

Cvetković’s nine league goals last season were already a strong return considering his age and playing time. More regular starts could give him the minutes needed to push his total into double figures and beyond. His challenge is to turn those promising flashes into a full season of consistent scoring.

Michael Frey, Royal Antwerp

Experience could give Michael Frey an advantage over some of the younger names in the race. The 32-year-old Swiss striker returned to Royal Antwerp for the 2026-27 campaign after previously playing for the club. Antwerp announced his return on July 29.

Frey immediately made an impact on the opening weekend. Against SK Beveren on August 9, he scored twice in Antwerp’s 2-1 victory. His first came in the 87th minute after an assist from Thibo Somers, before Antwerp completed the comeback with a stoppage-time winner. The two goals put Frey among the early leaders in the scoring chart after the first round.

His strength in the penalty area and experience in Belgian football make him a different kind of threat to Durosinmi. While the Genk striker is starting a new chapter in Belgium, Frey already knows the league and has the physical game needed to handle its defenders. A fast start could turn his return to Antwerp into a serious Golden Boot campaign.

Josué Vergara, Gent

Josué Vergara is the youngest and least experienced name on this list, but his start has already attracted attention. The 19-year-old Panamanian striker joined Gent in June after a short but productive spell with Latvian club FK Auda. Gent said he scored 13 goals in 17 matches for Auda and added three assists before moving to Belgium.

His Belgian debut produced another goal. Vergara started as Gent’s centre-forward against KV Mechelen and scored in a 2-0 victory. He had already gone close in the 40th minute before eventually finding the net. At 1.96m, Vergara also gives Gent a strong target in the box, much like Durosinmi. His record in Latvia suggests he knows how to find scoring positions, while his first Pro League goal has given him an immediate start in the Belgian scoring race.

The challenge now is to do it across an entire top-flight season.