Genk has drawn a firm line in negotiations over Zakaria El Ouahdi, setting a €13m–€15m valuation that the Belgian club expects interested parties to meet before talks can advance. This figure is being treated as a fixed price rather than a starting point for discussion, and reports from Italian, Belgian, Moroccan and international outlets confirm broad consensus around this band. Genk has given no indication that it would accept a reduced fee for any club moving early, reinforcing the sense that this valuation is close to final.
Genk’s €13m–€15m valuation for Zakaria El Ouahdi is fixed, not a starting point, with no discount offered for early movers.
The club’s confidence stems largely from El Ouahdi’s contract, which runs until June 2028. That long-term deal removes any urgency to sell and gives Genk significant control over how negotiations unfold. It also explains why the club has resisted lower offers, including a rejected April 2026 approach from Brentford worth €15m plus €6m in bonuses.
Following that rejection, Genk reportedly sought a guaranteed €25m, showing how far the asking price moved before settling at the current €13m–€15m range, which some observers view as a compromise relative to earlier figures near €20m–€25m.
The valuation appears well supported by market data. Independent platforms estimate El Ouahdi’s value between €14.5m and €18.4m, with one figure reaching €15.9m. Transfermarkt lists him at roughly €17m, slightly above Genk’s public stance. Some analytical models even suggest a range of €20m–€26m, pointing to potential upside beyond what Genk is currently demanding. Given that his previous transfer fee in 2023 was around €2.5m, the jump in valuation reflects a rapid rise in his market standing. His emergence as a key figure among the Atlas Lions has only strengthened his profile among top European clubs, a status shared by fellow Moroccan international Brahim Diaz, whose own rise has drawn similar attention from Europe’s biggest clubs.
Interest from top clubs continues to shape the conversation. AC Milan remains linked, with reports consistently citing the €13m–€15m bracket. A “prestigious German club,” including Hamburg, is reportedly operating within the same price range, while PSV Eindhoven is said to be monitoring the situation with an estimated €10m–€15m fee in mind. Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, has been linked to a higher figure, with suggestions that Genk wants closer to €20m in that scenario.
For now, Genk’s position remains unchanged: any serious suitor, including Hamburg, will need to meet the €13m–€15m threshold before negotiations can move forward.
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