Back in July, we covered an interview with Christopher Bonsu Baah with De Morgen, where it was pointed out that Brighton & Hove Albion also wanted to sign him.
The player eventually went to KRC Genk in Belgium, but he has since revealed in an interview with Het Belang Van Limburg that Everton also wanted him.
The 18-year-old was in high demand after impressing for Sarpsborg 08 FF in Norway, and despite the Toffees and Brighton battling for his services, it was the Jupiler Pro League side who won the raffle, paying €5.2m.
That’s a very reasonable fee for Premier League clubs such as the Seagulls and Everton, and there will be a feeling of frustration going around, especially if the young Ghanaian explodes in Belgium.
Asked which other clubs besides Genk had come knocking for his services while he was at Sarpsborg, he said: “Brighton, Everton, Feyenoord, Club Brugge… But for me, after my conversation with Dimitri de Condé, it was quickly a foregone conclusion. I only wanted to come to Genk.”
While there might have been a thought process of potentially playing more there, his choice was mostly based on the fact he has been a fan of the Belgian club ‘since childhood’.
That’s because he had two idols as a young player coming through the ranks, and those were Lionel Messi and Kevin de Bruyne, with Genk being the club where the now Manchester City star first made a name for himself before his failed move to Chelsea.
In short, it seems neither Brighton nor Everton had any chance of getting Bonsu Baah this time around the moment the Belgians turned up.
