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Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu has explained why he rejected offers from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs to sign for French side Stade de Reims
Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu has revealed that the need to play regular football is what informed his decision to select Ligue 1 club Stade de Reims over interest from the Premier League and Bundesliga sides.
Okumu was one of the most highly sought-after defenders in the summer following two stellar campaigns with Belgian top tier side KAA Gent with Premier League giants Arsenal as well as their London rivals West Ham among those rumoured to be tracking him.
While a move to England would have proved problematic due to Premier League’s stringent rules, Okumu would still have had a chance to move to Germany had Borussia Dortmund, who were also linked, firmed up their interest.
The defender ultimately chose Reims, who paid a reported €12m (Ksh1.8 billion) and offered him a five-year contract, and the defender feels he made the right choice give the assurances his was given by Will Still’s side.
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21:00 - 01.10.2023
STARS ABROAD Solid Okumu orchestrates defence as Stade Reims soar to victory
The Harambee Stars defender picked up where he left from against Lille with another brilliant performance to help Reims beat struggling Lyon 2-0 on Sunday afternoon.
“So far so good, I’m adjusting well. There are a lot of things that we had to consider. I looked at the group and the project the club had and the kind of opportunities I would have, playing time and such kind of stuff,” Okumu said on Friday, during a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s home league clash against AS Monaco.
“There were a lot of considerations and we had to look at the pros and cons of everything and every kind of project that the clubs were offering and I think Reims stood out and was the most interesting one and that is why I chose here,” he added.
Okumu has started three and come off the bench in one of Reims’ opening seven games of the French top flight, including the last two were they have claimed major scalps, beating Lille 2-1 before silencing Lyon 2-0, and the defender is delighted by the quality of the league.
“It is an amazing league, quite intense, a lot of players with quality so it is a good league to gauge yourself how far you are because it has a lot of quality players,” said Okumu.
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20:11 - 24.09.2023
STARS ABROAD Okumu's brilliance leads way as Kenyan duo spark Nyasa Big Bullets to victory
In a dazzling display, Collins Okumu leads Big Bullets to a 5-1 victory over Dedza Dynamos, shining alongside Clyde Senaji.
Okumu is having to deal with competition from Ivorian defender Emmanuel Agbadou and Frenchman Yunis Abdelhamid for a starting place in central defence but he feels that is what each of them need to bring out the best.
“It is a good thing because if you look at the quality in the team, everybody can push to get the chance to play and we push each other to bring the best out ourselves to showcase our abilities and I think it is a good competition between us,” said the former Chemelil Sugar star.
Reims have had a great start to the season as they are third on the standings with 13 points from seven games, one behind Saturday’s opponents Monaco, and this has them dreaming of European football next season.
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10:00 - 27.09.2023
STARS ABROAD: Defensive beacon Joseph Okumu anchors Reims to victory over Lille
Okumu's stellar defense aids Stade de Reims' 2-1 win over Lille. Early goals by Daramy and Nakamura secure victory.
“That is the ambition of the club (playing European football). It is what we are really working on and we hope by helping the club achieve it’s goals we will achieve our goals as well,” said Okumu, who will be hoping for a third straight start on Saturday.
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