Today lets talk about Belgian side RC Genk.
For those who dont know, Genk have three goalkeepers under contract.
Maarten Vandevoordt
20 years (transfer to RB Leipzig in 2024)
Marketvalue: € 6.000.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2026)
Tobe Leysen
20 years (contract till 2025)
Marketvalue: € 350.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2026)
Vic Chambaere
19 years (contract till 2023, option for 1 extra year)
Marketvalue: € 100.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2027)
When i wrote all the other articles, there is always a lot to explain about the keepers history or what next year will bring. That's also the reason why i postponed to write about Genk. It's most probably the easiest explanation of all, Maarten Vandevoordt is the number 1 last season and next season.
If you read these articles i assume you have some knowledge about football, so the combination of the words goalkeeper and Genk, must ring a bell. Exactly, Genk has a very great youth academy, besides their goalkeepers. De Bruyne, Trossard, Benteke and Castagne are widely known and came from the Genk youth academy.
If we emphasize on their goalkeepers, off course Courtois is the most famous of all, making his debut in the first team of Genk at the age of 16. The same age as Courtois, but never played a first team match for Genk, Casteels (Wolfsburg) became one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. Also Bolat (AA Gent), Coucke (KV Mechelen) and Jackers (OH Leuven) came from their academy.
But one of the most expensive goalkeepers U23 in Sorare is off course Maarten Vandevoordt.
At the age of 17 made his professional debut in the league, cup but also in the champions league, which makes him forever one of the youngest goalkeepers to make his debut in the Champions League.
Although he couldn't keep his spot in his first season, only playing a couple of matches, it was clear this guy is talented. Last season he had to fight for the 1st gk spot against Vukovic, the captain of the team. At the start of that season it looked obvious who was number 1, Vukovic. But after winter break there became more and more doubts around Vukovic (already 35 at that time). When Vandevoordt played a cup match, manager Van den Brom, decided it was time to change the number 1 spot, giving full confidence to Vandevoordt.
Since then he played almost all of the Genk matches as their number 1.
His performances were ok this season, but ok and nothing more, he will not win the best goalkeeper of the season award. Some good matches, were often followed by not that good matches of making smaller mistakes. I just wonder what would have happened if there would have been a decent competition for Vandevoordt in Genk this season.
But everybody can see he is very talented, playing all matches in a Belgian topteam (normally they are) + with the age he has, its no surprise bigger teams started to show their interest in him.
Barcelona was amongst them, but it was RB Leipzig who decided to sign him, where he will move to in 2024!? I am sure it happened before but i don't know a lof of examples where they sign a player more then two years before he moves to the team. He is not on loan from RB Leipzig, he just moves there in 2024.
Its safe to say Vandevoordt will be number 1 next season, we dont know what kind of agreements there are between RB Leipzig and Genk, but the German team would want to make sure their investment keeps on playing.
Leipzig also has the possibility to sign him already in 2023 to loan him out to another club if they see it better for his development. 2024 would be the start of the competition between him and Gulasci (contract till 2025) in RB Leipzig.
If you read other articles, you might know by now that some of the B-teams of the Jupiler Pro League teams will play in the 2nd division next season. Genk won the last league of the B-teams (first 4 of that league would play in the 2nd division next season) and are confirmed to play in the 2nd division next season. The fact they won that league also says a lot about their youth academy, beating Club Brugge and Anderlecht. That same team almost reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Youth league, losing on penalties against Liverpool.
This is important info for their goalkeepers next season. The specific rules are not confirmed yet, but it does look like you can play for the B-team if you dont arrive to a minimum amount of minutes playing for the A-team.
This could mean Leysen can play a lot of matches for the B-team and convince the club he can be the next goalkeeper of Genk when Vandevoordt leaves, a contract till 2025 does show confidence in him.
As Leysen is the 2nd goalkeeper and belongs full time to the 1st team, he cant play all matches for the B-team. So it does look like Chambaere will have some matches with them as well, but there a lot of other young goalkeepers within the club, where 16-year old Mike Penders seems like one of their biggest talents. Lets see how it develops during the season.
Disclaimer: this is not any Sorare or financial advice, i am just expressing my own ideas. Do your own research if you would want to buy or sell one of their cards.