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By Ebenezer Bajela.
Former Belgium star, Marc Degryse, says selling Nigeria international Paul Onuachu may haunt KRC Genk’s bid to claim their first Jupiler League title since 2019.
The lanky striker joined English Premier League side, Southampton, on deadline day of the winter transfer window after Genk and the Saints agreed on a £15.8m deal plus add-ons and went on to pen a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Prior to the sale of the Nigerian, Genk were without equal in the first half of the season, winning all but one of their 15 league matches played between September 11, 2022 and January 29, with the 28-year-old a key figure in the team.
The striker scored 16 goals in 19 games as Genk cruised to the top of the table.
Since the departure of Onuachu, Wouter Vrancken’s men have won only one of three games and at the weekend they suffered their first home defeat of the season following a 1-0 loss to Royal Antwerp.
Though the Smurfs remain top of the table with 62 points, six points more than second-place Union St.Gilloise, Degryse expressed concerns over the fate of the league leaders.
“Onuachu’s departure may still raise doubts,” the 57-year-old told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“Wouter Vrancken won’t say it, but you can’t be blind to that, even if they deserved at least a point on Sunday and should have even won.
“You have to deal with (Mbwana) Samatta because he has become a starter now. But he will not become Onuachu.
“It’s more up to Genk to hope that (Tolu) Arokodare finds his bearings quickly. Until the play-offs, things can still go wrong for Genk.
“Because in the meantime, Union has made further progress. If you see how they presented themselves in Bruges… They have charisma, conviction, and quality. Genk will still have a lot to do. Union surely has fewer problems with the departure of Vanzeir, while the losing Onuachu could cost Genk points.”