With the departure of Joseph Paintsil to the MLS now confirmed, many will have wondered how Genk will replace the 26-year-old winger from Ghana. So far this season Paintsil scored six goals and provided four assists in 23 Pro League matches. He also chipped in with another two goals and an assist during the Europa Conference League group stages. This was building on a fantastic year last time out, with 17 goals and 11 assists during the 2022/2023 season.
However, Genk showed at the weekend that they already have a replacement ready to step up. In many ways, young Luca Oyen would probably be considered one to watch by many top clubs had he not suffered with injuries over the last few seasons. At the weekend he scored his first goal of the season, a wonderful finish after being played through by the incredibly talented Bilal El Khannous.
With Paintsil gone, and Oyen recovering fully from the injuries, everything has come together to give him a chance to finally get a run of games under his belt. Against RWDM at the weekend, Genk’s attacking midfield three had two teenagers and one 20-year-old. Oyen was the oldest of the three, with El Khannous and Christopher Bonsu Baah both just 19.
While the club would have preferred to keep Paintsil until the end of the season, the transfer to LA Galaxy may well be a blessing in disguise as it allows Oyen to get more experience and a young attacking trio to create more chemistry.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
