West Ham target Joakim Maehle is disappointed over the fact a move away from Genk failed to materialise during the January window.
The Hammers were reportedly interested in a swoop for Maehle, along with Southampton, but the defender would not move away from Genk despite the rumours last month.
The Danish defender was a big part of Genk’s Belgian Pro League win last season, helping them qualify for this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Speaking to Belgian outlet Dezondag, he said:
It is not surprising that Berge and Samatta are now also gone. We know the club’s strategy, it’s a good thing for everyone.
That I had to stay was a disappointment, yes. I am ambitious, watched those beautiful foreign clubs pass by … We were champions, that does not work every year, perhaps this was the chance. But they said no …
Both West Ham and Southampton were in the market for a full-back, with Southampton eventually landing Tottenham’s Kyle Walker-Peters.
The Hammers, meanwhile, failed to sign a full-back, meaning that they could again look to the market this summer to find a player in that area.
Maehle could well be unsettled at Genk, especially after Sander Berge and Mbwana Samatta were both allowed to leave to join Sheffield United and Aston Villa respectively.
He’s capable on both sides of the ball, providing six assists so far this season whilst also averaging 3.3 tackles a game in his six Champions League appearances.
His latest comments could mean that Genk now allow him to move on in the summer, but West Ham will surely have to secure survival in the Premier League to have a chance of landing his services.
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