Genk want club-record transfer fee for West Ham target Paul Onuachu
West Ham United are favourites to land Genk striker Paul Onuachu, but the Belgian club want their transfer record broken to agree to his exit, according to Voetbal Primeur.
They claim on their website that the Nigerian international will leave the club this summer, but negotiations between Genk and interested parties are yet to be finalised.
While Onuachu’s immediate future is away from Belgium, the 27-year-old has returned for pre-season training and snapped a team photograph.
Deserved
Genk sold Sander Berge to Sheffield United for £19.67million in January in a club-record deal [TransferMarkt], and it appears they want much more for their striker.
Hypothetically, West Ham would need to pay around £21million to £25million to have a chance of landing Onuachu, and we doubt if the current board would be keen to meet that asking price.
The Nigerian bagged 35 goals in 41 games last season, emerging as the Belgian’s top-flight league highest goalscorer and player of the season, and Genk are right to demand top dollar for their most prized possession.
Brighton are also keen on him [Own Goal Nigeria], and it would not be shocking should they pip us to his signature by meeting his club’s demands.
West Ham need a striker badly, and we need to splash the cash if want to get one capable of hitting the ground running in the Premier League.
It is a position we have struggled to adequately equip in recent seasons, with most of our striking signings underwhelming.
Onuachu could be the man to change all that given his goalscoring talents, but money could prove to be a problem with West Ham clearly playing hard ball in negotiations with Genk.
In other West Ham news, striker is set to quit club in ‘Next few days’, Hammers ready to meet demands.
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