Royal Antwerp FC has allowed forward Gabriel Jesus David to depart for Austrian club SKN Sankt Pölten. The 19-year-old Nigerian is traveling on Wednesday to finalize his move to the Austrian second-division side.
The departure comes as Antwerp prepares for a key away match against Standard Liege on September 5th. The club currently sits ninth in the Jupiler Pro League with seven points from four matches. With a goal difference of plus one (ten goals scored, nine conceded), Antwerp trails league leaders Charleroi by five points. Their recent form reads LDWW.
Gabriel Jesus David arrived on loan from the Nigeria Sports Football Academy in February 2025. Antwerp had included a purchase option in the loan agreement and later decided to trigger it, signing the player permanently. For the first team, the attacker made eleven official appearances without finding the net. He spent most of his playing time with the reserve team.
The agreement with SKN Sankt Pölten is again a loan deal, but this time it includes an option to buy for the Austrian club. This makes it likely David will not return to Antwerp.
With David's exit, Antwerp loses a young player primarily intended for the future. The immediate impact on the squad for upcoming matches appears limited, as he was not a regular starter. Manager Mark van Bommel can continue to rely on his established attacking options. The current squad composition can always be followed on our squad page.
The club now fully focuses on the league, where it aims to reduce the five-point gap to the top. The coming weeks are important to secure a better position in the standings. Fans can track the live table via our standings overview.
The immediate focus is on the away match against Standard Liege, the league's fifth-placed team, on Saturday, September 5th. This is a key opportunity to take points from a direct mid-table rival. A win could pull Antwerp further away from the lower regions and potentially open a path to the top six.
Beyond this transfer, other clubs like Club Brugge, Union SG, and KRC Genk remain active in the market, keeping the competition sharp. For Antwerp, the task is to find consistency in the coming weeks. The full schedule up to the next international break is available on the fixtures page. The final training session before the trip to Liege is scheduled for Friday.
