Brighton & Hove Albion tried to hijack a deal for Christopher Bonsu Baah before KRC Genk completed his signing on Thursday, according to a report from Belgium.
The Jupiler Pro League club took the winger from Norwegian side Sarpsborg for €5.2m and the overall fee could rise to 7m with bonuses included. The Seagulls were ready to offer close to double what Genk proposed to sign him.
That’s according to De Morgen, who explain Brighton ‘wanted to go up to €10m’ to secure the 18-year-old’s services.
Apart from Roberto De Zerbi’s side, other clubs had also showed interest in the Ghanaian. He has now said he snubbed interest from these clubs to favour a move to Genk in this window.
“I have known the club for a long time. When I was little, I played on FIFA with KRC Genk because of players like De Bruyne and Courtois,” he said.
“When I heard about Genk’s interest, I didn’t hesitate for a second. Despite interest from other teams. Being part of the club myself now feels like the right choice at the right time, I can’t wait to develop further.”
Genk head of football Dimitri de Condé has also expressed delight at getting ahead of other clubs to acquire the talented youngster’s signature.
“As a winger, he is a real dribbler who, in combination with his pace, is only too happy to look for a one-on-one confrontation with a defender,” De Condé said.
“His physical conditions are also unseen for his age. Christopher’s qualities fit perfectly into our club’s vision of football. We are absolutely thrilled that we were able to convince him of our project and can’t wait to get started with him.”
Brighton may be given an opportunity to sign Christopher Bonsu Baah in the future, and De Condé hinted at such a possibility.
“At KRC Genk, he finds himself in the ideal environment to take the next steps in his career before making the transition to the European top,” De Condé explained.
The attacker arrives at Genk after managing a goal and two assists from 15 games for Sarpsborg during the 2022/23 season.
