Joseph Okumu: Harambee Stars defender closes in on KAA Gent move

BetOdds Transfers Gent Super League Elfsborg Allsvenskan African All Stars

The former Free State Stars player is in Belgium to negotiate with the club on a possible move in the summer

Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu is closing in on a move to Belgium's top side KAA Gent, Goal can reveal.

Okumu has been allowed by his Swedish club, IF Elfsborg, to travel to Ghent and complete talks with the Belgian side. The former Chemelil Sugar centre-back has had an impressive season with Elfsborg and attracted reported interest, mainly from Lorient and Reims of France and from Rangers FC and Celtic of Scotland.

"He is in Ghent for formal talks with the club. Negotiations have been ongoing and if everything is agreed on, he will become Gent's new player soon," a source close to Okumu told Goal. Crouch, as the former Real Monarchs star is known, joined the Swedish side after participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with the Harambee Stars in 2019. Although Kenya did not do well in the tournament, the centre-back showed brilliance especially after being called to fill the void that injuries created in the national team. Since then, he has been an undroppable figure for Harambee Stars as he has also established himself as one of the key players at club level. Recently, Okumu stated he was ready for a new challenge away from Elfsborg.

"Yes, definitely [will take the next step]. The most important thing is that I have already made an impression here," Okumu said.

"When I have done that, both I and the club are satisfied... I think we have the same interests here, so I will take the next step."

After completing his secondary education at Kakamega High, where he featured in national tournaments alongside his Harambee Stars teammate, Eric Ouma, Okumu joined Chemelil Sugar before he secured a move to the Free State Stars of South Africa. From Free State Stars, the towering defender joined AFC Ann Arbor and Real Monarchs in the United States before Elfsborg - his first European team - signed him two years ago.

2021-06-18 18:00:06

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