When West Ham target Paul Onuachu slammed a penalty wide of the mark during yesterday’s Jupiler League clash between Genk and RFC Seraing with the score at 0-0, the visitors could have been forgiven for hoping lady luck was shining down on them.
But you can’t keep a good striker down for long and, just eight minutes later, Onuachu made amends – just.
The Nigeria international bundled a tap-in unconvincingly over the line, the 6ft 7in centre-forward breathing an almighty sigh of relief as a covering defender failed to get a toe on the ball.
Lady luck, it seems, had taken her affections elsewhere at the Luminus Arena.
Just two minutes later, Onuachu doubled his tally for the game and, when Genk won another spot-kick early in the second-half, Onuachu was never going to shy away from his responsibility.
His hat-trick not only lifted Genk to within one point of table-toppers Club Brugge, it also took his tally to 11 goals in 12 games for the season – nine in eight Jupiler League matches.
Paul Onuachu shows West Ham what they’re missing
“As a club, we’re very proud to still have Paul in our midst. Together we will do everything we can to achieve our ambitions,” said head coach John van den Brom, the ink still drying on the long-term contract Onuachu signed earlier this month.
Now, Onuachu is highly unlikely to see out that new deal until its conclusion in 2024.
But with interest in one of Europe’s hottest goalscorers likely to intensify after an outstanding start to the campaign, the Blauw-Wit will be in a position of strength when the inevitable offers start to roll in.
And, as West Ham United found out in the summer, Genk won’t be bullied into selling their star man on the cheap.
David Moyes was desperate to bring in a man who would make the towering Tomas Soucek look like Manuel Lanzini and the Scot would have been disappointed to learn West Ham were refusing to stump up the £22 million Genk wanted for a man who has scored 38 goals since the start of last season.
Now, with Genk set to travel to the London Stadium in the Europa League group stages next month, Onuachu will have another impetus to keep that purple patch going.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
