KRC Genk coach Wouter Vrancken has insisted he is happy for defender Daniel Muñoz getting his move to Crystal Palace and claimed talks of him pushing for the move may be misrepresented.
The Genk boss has been speaking to HLN as Muñoz seemingly closes in on a move to Crystal Palace before the end of the January transfer window.
Palace have been chasing his signature throughout this month and appear to have finally matched Genk’s demands, with a deal struck earlier today on a €10m deal including bonuses.
That came after weeks of negotiations and efforts from Muñoz himself, with the player having refused to train in an effort to force through the move.
Het Laatste Nieuws now report that the Colombian has travelled to London today to complete his transfer to Crystal Palace and a deal is close to being finalised.
That’s naturally disappointing for the Belgian side, who have not only lost a key player but will also be without him for the Limburg derby against STVV on Sunday.
It seems Genk coach Vrancken was fully prepared for the eventuality, though, and has even moved to back him amid those reports of his efforts to make the move to Crystal Palace go through.
“I am happy for him that he can take this step,” he said.
“It’s a shame for us, because it’s a super important player. He is someone you can go to war with and he also has impressive statistics. This morning he said goodbye to the group. He was not able to keep it dry.
“I thought the headlines about this were slightly exaggerated. It was done in good consultation. He informed me of every new development. He understood that it was not ideal and was concerned about it, but he remained correct.
“At the age of 27 he wanted to take this step and financially he is also doing well. I understand his situation. After the departure of Onuachu and Trésor he is the next player with such stats to leave us. Of that magnitude, only Paintsil remains. It is a challenge to accommodate that.”
