Hamburger SV Pursue Zakaria El Ouahdi from Genk

Hamburger SV have their man agreed – at least on paper. Now they just need to convince Genk to open the door.

According to HLN, Moroccan international Zakaria El Ouahdi has reached an agreement on personal terms with HSV. The 24-year-old wants the move, sees the Bundesliga as the next step, and is ready to leave Belgium. The problem sits with Genk’s boardroom, not the player’s contract.

Hamburg have already tested Genk’s resolve three times. Three bids, three rejections. The Belgian club are holding firm for now, fully aware of the value of one of their standout performers of the past two seasons. Yet with El Ouahdi pushing for a new challenge, there is a growing sense that both sides will eventually find a number that works.

You can see why HSV are persisting.

El Ouahdi has developed into one of the most dangerous attacking full-backs in Belgian football. His first campaign with Genk was solid rather than spectacular, but the picture changed once Daniel Muñoz left for Crystal Palace. A vacancy opened on the flank; El Ouahdi grabbed it.

In the 2024/25 season he featured 40 times, delivering eight goals and two assists from defence – numbers that already hinted at a modern, forward-driving full-back. Last season he went up another gear: 12 goals in 45 appearances and five assists, underlining his growing influence in the final third and his importance to Genk’s attacking structure.

Those figures have turned him from a promising option into a clear transfer target for clubs looking to add thrust from deep. For Hamburg, now entering their second season back in the Bundesliga, that profile fits a very specific need: energy and end product from wide defensive areas.

Should the clubs finally shake hands on a fee, El Ouahdi would arrive in Germany not as a project, but as a player expected to contribute immediately. HSV see a full-back in his prime years, battle-tested in a competitive league and ready to handle the step up.

The negotiations may drag, the bids may keep edging up, but the direction of travel feels clear. If Genk eventually relent, Hamburg’s right flank could look very different when the new Bundesliga campaign kicks off.