K.R.C Genk paid €4m to bring Cyriel Dessers to the Luminus Arena last summer from Heracles Almelo. Much was expected from the 26-years old Nigerian who finished as the Eredivisie top scorer the season before.
However, Dessers hasn’t lived up to expectations this season with another Nigerian leading the charge for the blue-whites. That other Nigerian is Paul Onuachu.
Dessers lost the fight for a starting central striking role to his compatriot who is having his most prolific season yet with over 30 goals already this term.
Genk coach John van den Brom indicated in several interviews that Dessers worked hard in training and was the victim of the situation.
He truly is. After a slow start to the season, it became difficult for him to get back into the starting eleven with Onuachu’s continued goalscoring heroics.
Dessers has just 4 goals in 28 league appearances albeit coming off the bench in the majority of those games.
He made another two appearances in the Belgian cup without finding the back of the net.
Compare that to Onuachu’s breathtaking 32 goals in 37 games across all competitions and you understand why Dessers spends most of the time among the subs.
While it can be argued that his minutes have been limited, the Nigerian international hasn’t done anywhere near enough with the chances he has been given. His last goal came in December and he has failed to score in the last 19 games he has featured in.
Onuachu will likely leave at the end of the season with plenty of clubs in contention to sign him. Reports from Belgium say The Smurfs have lined up another Nigerian in Ike Ugbo as a possible replacement for Onuachu.
That leaves Dessers in a complicated situation. He is under contract until 2024 and according to Voetbal Belgie, a number of clubs are willing to put an end to his Genk misery. The coming transfer window will be deciding.
