KRC Genk’s Japanese representative FW Junya Ito (29) is expected to transfer to Ligue 1 (France 1st division) Stade Reims. In the meantime, it seems that there was a new movement around the same player. On the 28th, the French newspaper “L’Equipe” reported.
Junya Ito extended his contract with the club until June 2024 in October last year after becoming a key player for KRC Genk. However, the Belgian newspaper “Het Nieuwsblad” reported on the 26th of this month that “Stade Reims has started negotiations with KRC Genk to acquire Junya Ito.” He seems to have prepared a transfer fee of 10 million euros (approximately 1.39 billion yen), and some media in Japan are reporting the possibility of reaching an agreement between clubs in the near future.
Belgian media “VOETBAL” also said about the player’s future, “Genk is demanding at least 10 million euros from Junya Ito, who is 29 years old and has two years left on his contract.”
“If Genk wants to cash in on this Japanese national team player, now is the time. Genk is one of the few professional clubs in Belgium that is not in the hands of foreign investors, and their business model is to resell players, which can generate huge profits. It remains,” he said. KRC Genk claims this summer is the perfect time to sell at a high price.
L’Equipe reports that Stade Reims and KRC Genk are in talks. He also informed that the player himself has withdrawn from KRC Genk’s general training to wait for the results of the negotiations between the clubs and is adjusting with individual menus.
In addition, “Het Nieuwsblad” categorically reported on the night of the 28th that “Junya Ito will transfer to Stade Reims in Ligue 1”, indicating that the player’s transfer this summer is certain.
Stade Lance released U21 France representative FW Hugo Ekticke (20) to Paris Saint-Germain in this summer’s transfer window. According to L’Equip, Junya Ito was listed as the successor to Ektike.