Anthony Lenín Valencia Bajaña

Anthony Lenín Valencia Bajaña is an Ecuadorian forward who plays for Antwerp. Born in Guayaquil on 21 July 2003, he developed in Ecuador before joining Independiente del Valle’s youth system in 2017. Valencia was part of Independiente del Valle’s squad that won the 2020 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Paraguay. On 8 June 2022, he moved to Antwerp on a four-year contract, beginning his European career in Belgium. He supplied an assist for Radja Nainggolan in a 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League win over Lillestrøm and later scored his first Antwerp goal against Westerlo. Valencia was also part of Antwerp’s 2022–23 league-and-cup-winning team and its 2023 Belgian Super Cup success. Primarily a winger, he has additionally been used as an attacking midfielder.