Genk director explains what Paul Onuachu ‘begged’ him after Southampton bid

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KRC Genk director Dimitri de Conde admits Paul Onuachu ‘begged’ him to green-light an £18 million move to Premier League outfit Southampton on the final day of the January transfer window, speaking to Het Nieuwsblad. 

Fear not Saints supporters; you can expect to see Onuachu shed blood, sweat and tears for the cause on the banks of the Solent. 

The Nigeria international is finally fulfilling his dream of playing Premier League football, and he’s not about to let it go to waste. Onuachu was disappointed to be overlooked by Wolves during the summer of 2022. A year before that, he spoke in similarly frustrated tones as West Ham opted to look elsewhere. 

So when Southampton came knocking, Onuachu was not going to let such an opportunity slip through his grasp. 

Southampton fought off competition for Everton to sign Genk’s Paul Onuachu

“At 1pm (on deadline day), I had a conversation with a very emotional Paul,” De Conde recalls. “He felt his dream slip away again. ‘Please, let me go. This could be my very last chance’, he begged.

“I had to make it clear to him that there were two conditions under which the deal could succeed. One; the numbers had to be correct. And, two; we had to be able to bring in a replacement.

“I had already had a conversation about it with coach Wouter Vrancken in the morning. At a certain point, you can no longer say ‘no’ on a human level, Wouter agreed. Especially because certain promises were made.”

Onuachu, now the tallest player in the Premier League at 6ft 7ins, sets Southampton back an eye-watering £18 million. He can repay that investment with interest, however, by firing Nathan Jones’ side to safety. 

According to FootMercato, an increasingly-desperate Everton made a late attempt to snatch Onuachu from under Southampton’s noses. But, with funds tight at Goodison Park, the Saints were always in control the situation. 

The hope will be that Onuachu, who won Belgium’s Golden Boot and Player of the Year award back in 2021, can form a formidable understanding with fellow new recruits James Bree, Mislav Orsic, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Carlos Alcaraz.