Beat out Premier League clubs
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The Los Angeles Galaxy continue their major squad overhaul, and after adding Brazilian Gabriel Pec in a blockbuster deal earlier this winter, have now signed Ghanaian forward Joseph Paintsil from KRC Genk. According to a report by Belgian-based outlet HLN, the Major League Soccer side has signed the 26-year-old in a deal worth €8.5 million. Paintsil has signed a four year Designated Player contract with the Galaxy.
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Paintsil becomes the second most expensive player in LA Galaxy club history, along with Chicharito. Chicharito left the Galaxy this summer, returning to his Mexican youth club Chivas. With the Mexican superstar gone, the Galaxy underwent a major restructuring, and Paintsil, together with Pec, is now expected to lead the line for the Los Angeles-based club.
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Although Transfermarkt Area Manager Belgium Bart Tamsyn pointed out that there has been a feeling for some time that Paintsil’s time in Belgian football was coming to an end, the transfer to MLS is still a bit of a surprise. “Paintsil himself was hoping for offers from the Premier League, but the fact that he can earn twice what he earns now will have made him change his mind,” Tamsyn said. “Genk, in turn, will be pleased to get just a little more than the buyout clause that expired last month. Genk is a financially stable club, who have to sell every year to stay financially solid. But that wasn’t the main reason for the transfer. I suspect they also realized he was a bit out of it, especially after Paintsil publicly stated yet again last weekend that the referees in Belgium are deliberately giving him cards.”
Paintsil to LA Galaxy – Wanted Premier League move
Indeed, there was a sense that Paintsil was frustrated with a lack of transfer in recent months and it was expected that Premier League clubs would come in for the Ghanaian this summer. “He felt this season that referees were looking for him and opponents were provoking him,” Tamsyn said. “For instance, he collected nine yellow and two red cards in 33 games this season, regularly for complaining, showing discontent or aggressive fouls.” But despite the troubles, Tamsyn stressed that Paintsil was an essential player for Genk this season, scoring nine goals and five assists in 33 games across all competitions.
“This was lower than last season, though, when he recorded 18 goals and 14 assists in 39 games, undoubtedly his best season at Genk,” Tamsyn said. “He also formed a dangerous tandem with right-back Daniel Muñoz [on the right], who came to eight goals and seven assists. The two were quite possibly the most dangerous duo in the Jupiler Pro League last season.”
But what sort of player is Paintsil? “He is a right winger,” Tamsyn said. “He has been tried a few times as a left winger, attacking midfielder, or second striker, but he cannot get his efficiency there. His big asset is his pure speed combined with his technical ability to control the ball during his rushes. There won’t be many players in the MLS who can match his top speed. He usually initiates his rush from the halfway line, passes his defender at speed, comes inside, and tries to finish across. If he needs to initiate his action closer to goal, he will look for the backline and either try to dribble past his defender and deliver a cross or involve an attacking right-flank defender in the action.”
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