Morocco’s Zakaria El Ouahdi closes in on long-awaited move to Germany

Zakaria El Ouahdi is set to leave Genk for Hamburger SV, finally securing a move to one of Europe’s “Big Five” leagues after several transfer windows of interest in his services.

The 24-year-old is third in Morocco’s right-back pecking order behind captain Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui. El Ouahdi, who has won four international caps, is expected to end his three-year stay in Belgium and move to Germany.

Several sources, including Walfoot and Soccer212, report that an agreement has been reached for the transfer, despite the player having two years remaining on his Genk contract.

El Ouahdi is due to undergo his medical on Sunday. Provided that is completed successfully, he is expected to sign a five-year contract with Hamburger SV, keeping him at the club until 2031.

The move would represent the realisation of an ambition El Ouahdi has made no secret of in recent years. The defender had been linked with a number of clubs from the major European leagues, including Marseille and Rennes in France, Wolfsburg in Germany and AC Milan in Italy.

None of those approaches resulted in a transfer, but the proposed move to Hamburger SV would finally take him into one of the continent’s leading domestic competitions.

El Ouahdi appeared to say an emotional farewell to Genk’s supporters on Friday night after what was most likely his 116th and final appearance for the Limburg club.

During his time with Genk, he scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists. His departure appeared to overwhelm him after the match, with the player unable to hold back his tears as he said goodbye to the fans.

A video recorded by television cameras showed El Ouahdi being comforted by Matte Smets, who is set to become his former team-mate once the transfer to Hamburger SV is completed.

The expected deal could also rank among Genk’s biggest sales of the past decade. Reports suggest it may exceed the €16.7m fee the club received when Leon Bailey left for Leverkusen in January 2017.

For El Ouahdi, the transfer would mark a significant step after three seasons in Belgium and provide an opportunity to establish himself in Germany. He will now look to build on his role with Morocco, where competition for the right-back position is led by Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui.

His move would also bring an end to a prolonged period of uncertainty over his next club. After being associated with several possible destinations without a deal materialising, El Ouahdi is now expected to complete the switch after his medical and begin a new five-season chapter in Germany.