Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 6:45 PM• Paul Jeursen • Last update: 18:55

Justin Lonwijk continues his career in Ukraine with Dynamo Kyiv. The midfielder comes from the Danish Viborg FF and costs the Ukrainian club approximately two million euros. This sales amount immediately makes Lonwijk the most expensive outgoing player ever from the Danish club. He signs a contract with Dinamo Kyiv until mid-2027.

Lonwijk submitted a transfer request himself and wanted to transfer to the Ukrainian top club as soon as possible. Viborg granted the midfielder’s request and receives the largest transfer fee in club history. Jesper Fredberg, director of football affairs at Viborg, is sorry that Lonwijk is leaving, he says via the official channels. “When we brought Justin from FC Utrecht, he was an unproven player without many matches at the highest level. We saw a lot of potential and knew that he could develop well with us. We think we have succeeded in that. It is a pity that we lose a truly talented player. At the same time, we are proud to make players better so that they appear on the radar at big clubs.”

Fredberg would have preferred not to sell the Dutchman after the Danish transfer window had already closed, but knew that Lonwijk wanted to move up. “We have always had good conversations about a possible transfer. If a great opportunity presented itself for Justin and the club, we were willing to think along. In this case Justin saw Dynamo Kyiv as a great opportunity and the offer was so good that we agreed to the sale. Justin has left a fantastic mark on VFF and we wish him all the best for the future.”

Lonwijk had nice words for his former employer. “My time in Viborg was absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t have imagined a better place to develop as a young player. I’ve learned a lot here and we’ve achieved a lot together, so it’s been a really good time, both as a person and as a footballer.” He played a total of 60 games for Viborg, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists. Before his departure to Denmark, he mainly played for Jong FC Utrecht, while he played 38 minutes in one Eredivisie match with the Domstedelingen A-selection. In the summer of 2019, Lonwijk came over from the PSV youth academy.