KV Mechelen have confirmed the arrival of midfielder Marco Decherf while simultaneously allowing defender Lovro Golic to depart on loan. The Jupiler Pro League club currently sits in fourteenth place with just two points from four matches.
The transfer of the 19-year-old Decherf is complete following an agreement with French second-tier side USL Dunkerque. The fee is close to one million euros. Decherf broke into Dunkerque's first team last season and started this Ligue 2 campaign strongly with one goal and two assists in the opening two matches. "✅ DONE DEAL," reported journalist Sacha Tavolieri regarding the move. The young midfielder is seen as a boost for a side yet to win a match this season and trailing leaders Charleroi by ten points.
Lovro Golic is moving in the opposite direction, swapping KV Mechelen for Helmond Sport. The 20-year-old Slovenian defender arrived from AS Roma a year ago but failed to make a single appearance for the first team last season, even after the departure of Redouane Halhal. The club confirmed his exit, stating: "Lovro Goliç joins Helmond Sport on loan for the rest of the season. 💪" For Golic, it's a chance to finally gather minutes at a senior level.
The arrival of Marco Decherf is intended to provide immediate reinforcement to KV Mechelen's midfield. Coach Wouter Vrancken will hope the creative Frenchman can help apply more pressure on opponents. The team has scored five goals this season but conceded nine, resulting in a negative goal difference of minus four. Decherf's ability to create and finish chances could help address this balance. His performance data can be tracked on our stats page.
The backdrop to these squad changes is a difficult start to the season. KV Mechelen has collected just two points from draws against Club Brugge and Standard Liège, suffering defeats to Union SG and KAA Gent. That sequence of loss-draw-loss-draw (DLDL) places the team in the lower reaches of the table. The immediate focus now shifts to the next fixture, a home match against KVC Westerlo on September 5th. Westerlo currently sits sixteenth, making it a winnable game in the battle for league position. All upcoming matches are listed on our fixtures schedule.
With Decherf's signing, KV Mechelen aims to turn their form around. The next test is the home match against KVC Westerlo on Saturday, September 5.
