Yet another Leeds United transfer boost as Southampton rejected by Genk winger Joseph Paintsil
Leeds United have seemingly received a boost in their pursuit of Joseph Paintsil after the Genk winger rejected a move to the Whites’ Championship rivals Southampton.
David Ornstein reported on The Athletic’s transfer blog on Friday [25 August, 08:30] that a proposed swap deal between Paintsil and Paul Onuachu is now off.
An agreement was said to be in place between Southampton and Genk, but the players turned down the option of swapping clubs.
That is good news for Leeds as, following the arrival of Joel Piroe on Thursday [24 August], Paintsil is one of three players they are looking to sign ahead of next week’s transfer deadline, along with Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara and Bayer Leverkusen attacker Nadiem Amiri [Dean Jones].
It remains to be seen who else is in the running for Paintsil, with 3SportsGH reporter Owuraku Ampofo reporting on 22 August that Serie A heavyweights Fiorentina were also eager to land the Ghana international.
Paintsil would be another big coup for Leeds should they win the race for his signature, having scored 17 goals in 36 appearances in the Belgian Pro League for Genk last season.
The 25-year-old has been at Genk since 2018, which includes a season on loan with Turkish side Ankaragucu in 2020-21, featuring 143 times for the Belgian side in total.
United now know that an €8million (£6.8m) offer, plus €2m (£1.7m) in bonuses, is what Genk are after for Paintsil – that being the valuation they agreed with Southampton in the proposed Onuachu swap deal.
That is a reasonable sum in the current market and would then leave the decision down to the player.
One way or another, Daniel Farke’s men could do with an answer by this weekend so that they can turn attention elsewhere should they need to.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are reportedly hoping to sign one of their targets on Friday [25 August].
Leeds United have welcomed five new recruits to the team this summer after their latest signing of Joël Piroe from Swansea City. They’ve also let go of a few key names following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Whites cashed in on Tyler Adams, Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts, who have all moved on to new clubs, while six other players have gone out on loan and two came to the end of their contracts last month. There are still some other outgoings expected before the transfer window slams shut in a weeks’ time.
Leeds stood firm on their stance that Gnonto was not for sale this summer, particularly with four years still left on his contract, but Everton remained keen on striking a move. That was, however, until a spate of recent updates may have shot any chance of a deal dead in the water.
Gnonto has returned to training with the rest of the Leeds first-team squad while according to The Times, Leeds are looking for a transfer fee of £40 million for Gnonto, which is proving difficult for the Toffees due to their current financial struggles. An ‘alarming’ update has emerged stating that MSP Sports Capital, who were looking to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the Merseyside club, has withdrawn its offer.
Everton have a very tight transfer budget right now and splashing out £40 million on one player will certainly be out of the question for them as they tackle their current struggles. So far this summer, they’ve brought in four new signings — two on loan, one through a free transfer, and they’ve spent £15 million on Chermiti.
Leeds United are in advanced talks to sign Genk winger Joseph Paintsil for a reported €10million package this week, having already landed Joel Piroe.
The Whites are in need of further signings to complete the squad under Daniel Farke, with the attack already seeing a drastic improvement through the arrival of Joel Piroe from Swansea.
Willy Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra being brought back into the squad suggests the side is stacked in wide areas, but more could be on the way.
Joseph Paintsil to Leeds?
Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth is now reporting that Leeds are in advanced talks to sign Genk winger Joseph Paintsil this week.
The Genk star was missing from their Europa Conference League qualifying match last night due to suspension, and he could be set to leave the Belgian club very soon.
