Hamburger SV Pursues Genk's Zakaria El Ouahdi
Hamburger SV have their man on side – now they just need to convince Genk.
According to HLN, Moroccan international Zakaria El Ouahdi has agreed personal terms with the Bundesliga club, signalling a clear desire to swap Belgium for northern Germany. The negotiations between the clubs, though, are proving far more stubborn than the player’s decision.
Hamburg have already lodged three separate offers with Genk. All three have been rejected. The Belgian club are holding their line, aware of the value of one of the Pro League’s standout attacking full-backs, while Hamburg keep knocking, confident that El Ouahdi’s determination to move will eventually crack the stalemate.
El Ouahdi’s rise explains the insistence. At 24, he has developed into one of the most dangerous full-backs in Belgian football. His first season at Genk was solid rather than spectacular, but everything changed once Daniel Muñoz left for Crystal Palace. A vacancy opened on the flank. El Ouahdi grabbed it.
In the 2024/25 campaign he played 40 games, scoring eight goals and adding two assists – serious output for a defender. Last season he went up another level: 12 goals in 45 appearances, with five assists. Those are winger numbers from a full-back, and exactly the kind of profile that appeals to a club looking to add thrust and end product from deep.
Hamburg, now preparing for their second season back in the Bundesliga, see El Ouahdi as a potential cornerstone on that right side. His energy, goal threat and willingness to attack space fit the modern German top-flight tempo.
The deal is not done yet. Genk are still to be satisfied, Hamburg are still pushing, and the player is waiting. But with El Ouahdi keen to take the next step in his career, the pressure on both clubs to find a fee that works is only going to rise.
