Belgian 'goal machine' Wesley Sonck joins Ajax for five seasons
05 July: Less than two days before Ajax's first squad is due
back on the ArenA training pitch the Amsterdam club presented
its most important newcomer for the 2003-2004 season: Wesley
Sonck (24), central forward of KRC Genk and the Belgian
national team, is now an Ajacied. The notorious Flemish
goalgetter will sign a contract for five seasons in the
Amsterdam ArenA on Monday.
Sonck gets his new shirt from Ronald Koeman. [Photo: ANP]
As usual Ajax did not reveal the transfer fee or any other
financial details. According to reliable Belgian newspapers
such as Het Nieuwsblad Ajax has to pay KRC (or: Racing
Club) Genk a sum of 5 million euros. Two players of Ajax's
former "satellite club" Germinal Beerschot Antwerp are part of
the deal: South-African defender Aaron Mokoena and Sierra
Leonese striker Paul Kpaka are to sign contracts at Genk.
Although Mokoena was the only of the two with an Ajax contract,
Ajax confirms that both players are involved in the Sonck
deal.
"It hurts to have to say goodbye to Wesley", said Genk
chairman Jos Vaessen in an interview with Het
Nieuwsblad. "Sonck is irreplaceable. The best player in
the Belgian league is leaving. But Ajax is the best club for
him, especially when it comes to mentaility. In fact, Wesley is
already half a Dutchman." Vaessen's latter remark refers to
Sonck's reputation in Belgium: he is known as a self-assured
player with swagger, who knows what he wants.
Wesley Sonck was born on 09 August 1978 in the Flemish town
of Ninove. He started playing football for local side VK
Ninove. His début on the highest level of Belgian
football (the First Class) followed in 1997 with RWD Molenbeek.
He spent two years at Molenbeek before joining Germinal Ekeren.
That club continued as Germinal Beerschot Antwerp after the
merger with KV Beerschot. After having worn the jersey of what
was at the time Ajax's "satellite club" for one season, Sonck
joined the ambitious KRC Genk in the summer of 2000.
It was the start of his success story. He became Genk's
topscorer for three seasons in a row and the topscorer of
Belgium's First Class in 2002 and 2003, with 30 and 24 league
goals respectively. He made his début for Belgium in
2001 and since scored seven goals in his 25 games for the 'Red
Devils'. Sonck was a key-figure as KRC Genk unexpectedly
clinched the championship Belgian championship in 2002.
Thanks to two Sonck goals in the qualifying round Genk
pulled into the 2002-2003 Champions League. Sonck added another
two goals in Genk's six group games. Between 2000 and 2003
Wesley Sonck became one of Europe's most feared goalscorers: he
won the prestigious UEFA Golden Boot (for 'Topscorer of
Europe') in 2001 and grabbed the Silver Boot a year later.
Earlier this summer Ajax announced that the club could only
afford a major purchase if one or more players were sold. This
situation changed as the profit of the 2002-2003 Champions
League campaign turned out to be larger than expected: the UEFA
transferred a sum of 14 million euros to Ajax's bank account
recently. Also, Ajax's general director Arie van Eijden
confirmed that Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam is about to be sold to
French giants Olympique Marseille.
Wesley Sonck, meanwhile, will undergo the standard medical
and physical tests at the Amsterdam ArenA on Monday, after
which he will sign his contract and be presented to the press.
(MP)
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