Dortmund contacts Kenyan International Joseph Okumu
German Bundesliga side Dortmund are seeking the services of national football team Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu (pictured).
This was confirmed to People Sport yesterday by the player's handlers after he received an official interest from the German giants following his remarkable first season in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League with KAA Gent who won the Belgian Cup, qualified for the UEFA Conference League and finished regular league fifth.
During the Belgian Cup final on April 18 where Gent piped Anderlecht 4-3 on post-match penalties after they had played to a barren draw during the normal time, Okumu who has been been a regular started in 26 of the 31 matches he featured in, was voted as the man of the match and caught the eyes of several scouts who have been knocking on the door ever since.
“We have had informal interests from English side Arsenal and Scottish giants Celtic, but German side Borussia Dortmund is the first side to make an official inquiry about the central defender who is open to a move if a proper agreement is reached,” one of Okumu’s handlers told People Sport.
He added: “He will be arriving in Kenya today after he had to cut short his holiday in Turkey following his maternal grandmother’s death. The grandmother who will be buried in Busia on Saturday was very close to him, so he had to shelve everything to come to give her a proper send-off, then he can think of his future after that.”
Dortmund could be seeking the services of the 24-year-old defender to act as a natural replacement for veteran German international Mats Hummels who is currently 33 years old.
Okumu who boasts of 15 caps with the national team since he made his debut during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, has had a rock-solid partnership with Cote d’Ivoire international Christopher Operi at the back of the Gent defence since joining them at the beginning of the season from Swedish side Elsborg.
Before joining the Swedish league, the former Chemelil Sugar defender had stints with Real Monarchs in the US and also featured for South Africa Premier League side Free State Stars.
