West Ham United are reportedly leading the race to sign KRC Genk’s Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu in the ongoing transfer window.
According to a report from Belgian outlet Voetbal Primeur, West Ham United are the clear front-runners to capture the signing of striker Paul Onuachu from KRC Genk this summer.
Onuachu, 27, started out at the academy of FC Ebedei in his homeland of Nigeria before making the switch to FC Midtjylland in 2012. The centre-forward spent the next years with the Danish outfit that included a short loan spell away at Vejle BK. After close to 200 appearances, he was snapped up by Genk in the summer of 2019.
Since arriving in Belgium, Onuachu has impressed with his goalscoring exploits, particularly enjoying a stunning 2020/21 campaign during which he plundered 35 goals and set up five more for his teammates in just 45 games across all competitions. And, it is this streak that has attracted admirers across Europe, with Arsenal said to be among those interested.
However, as per the aforementioned report, it is West Ham that are the best-placed to sign Onuachu from Genk this summer. The Hammers are in desperate need of a new striker heading into the new season, considering that they have just Michail Antonio as the only viable option up top at the moment.
West Ham allowed Sebastien Haller to leave during the January transfer window but did not bring in a replacement. Addressing this issue will be of paramount importance for manager David Moyes as he prepares to lead the team into the UEFA Europa League in the coming campaign.
To that end, West Ham United have been linked with a host of strikers of late, including Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri as well as Uruguayan forward Maxi Gomez, who plays for La Liga club Valencia. Onuachu, too, seems to be very much on the radars of the east London outfit, with the report going as far as claiming that they are currently the front-runners to land the Nigerian forward.
Genk, for their part, are open to selling the 27-year-old as they look to make the most of the interest that Onuachu is generating. It now remains to be seen if a move for the London Stadium transpires for the striker or whether West Ham end up going in a different direction.
