Manchester City are keen on Genk’s 18-year-old playmaker Bilal El Khannouss, but the Belgian side wants to keep him for another 18 months.
According to Belgian outfit HLN, Manchester City are one of the sides keeping firm tabs on Bilal El Khannouss’s situation. The 18-year-old playmaker labelled “next De Bruyne” is a prized asset for the Belgian side. They remain uninterested in selling the young star for at least another 18 months.
Genk technical coach Michel Ribeiro recently said:
“He [El Khannouss] has 30 eyes. He sees everything. If you have to put one next to Kevin [De Bruyne] that impresses, it’s him. He’s going to be good in a different way.”
Charles De Ketelaere was the biggest sale in Jupiler Pro League’s history. Club Brugge sold him for €32 million in the summer to AC Milan, and fellow rivals Genk have taken note of one of their home talents. They want to make history with a transfer of their own in Bilal El Khannouss.
The Morrocan talent, coming out of the Genk system, has earned rave reviews this season for some of his accomplished performances. El Khannouss, the 18-year-old playmaker labelled “next De Bruyne.” The youngster is already attracting plenty of interest from across Europe and England. He remains primed to join one of the top teams in the future.
Genk is in no rush to make the sale, as there may be an opportunity in the current window. Manchester City are keen on the 18-year-old playmaker, but the Belgian side wants more time to develop the player into a proper star. They intend on keeping hold of him for another 18 months and remain keen on earning more than what De Keletaere got sold for in the summer.
Manchester City are keeping track of the Moroccan’s progress in Belgium. They want to acquire him soon, but as reported earlier, they might have to wait for a deal to materialise. Pep Guardiola’s side could expect to keep the dialogue open with Genk and take timely updates regarding El Khannouss’s progress.
Manchester City are always in the market for accomplished players and are willing to pay big money. However, in this window, they are also open to bringing in young talents from elsewhere to become a part of their system and gradually grow into first-team stars.
For instance, they are close to signing Maxime Perrone from Vasco Da Gama in Brazil while keeping tabs on several other stars in a similar age group. El Khannouss falls in the same category, as Man City want a developmental squad ready in the background.
El Khannouss labelled as the “next De Bruyne,” is an attacking midfielder by trade. Man City are hoping he becomes a similar talent to their original playmaker. The Moroccan is still young and may require plenty of time to get in the groove, hence Genk’s insistence to keep him on board.
Man City could even approach this month to understand what it may take to bring the Moroccan to the Etihad. As things stand, it will be a long shot before they agree on any move.
