Harambee Stars Midfielder Left in Limbo as Transfer to Serbia Falls Through

Kenyan midfielder Timothy Ouma is facing the prospect of a challenging season ahead after his transfer to Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade fell through.

Ouma, who spent the whole of last season on loan at Polish club Lech Poznan, where he was a key player as he made 34 appearances in all competitions, as they won the league title to seal a ticket to the UEFA Champions League qualification round, was set for another loan deal in Serbia.

The transfer to Serbia also included a clause to buy him permanently from Czech giants Slavia Prague who look to have quickly given up on the Kenyan midfielder soon after shelling out Ksh473 million to buy him from Swedish club Elfsborg in January 2025.

Ouma endured a frustrating four months in the Czech Republic, making just one appearance for the senior team, while playing twice for the second-string side, and at the end of the 2024-25 season, he moved to Poland on loan to secure regular playing time.

Having returned to the Czech Republic, Ouma’s hopes of getting opportunities at the club quickly disappeared when the transfer to Serbia was mooted but according to Mozzart Sport, that deal is now off and Partizan Belgrade have decided to sign Ghanaian midfielder Iddrisu Baba instead.

The outlet reports that the Belgrade-based club got furious when Slavia Prague attempted to change the terms of Ouma’s transfer by demanding more money and given their precarious financial situation, they walked away from the negotiating table.

Partizan Belgrade reportedly got tired of waiting and when the Serbian giants did not return to the initial deal, they moved on and sealed a transfer for Baba, leaving Ouma in limbo.

"We received excellent recommendations. There are many important details about him and we believe Ouma would mean a lot to us in midfield,” said Partizan Belgrade sporting director Radosav Petrovic.

“He is a physically dominant player, very good positionally, and someone who can bring balance to our midfield. We already have players in those positions, but competition is always welcome. We believe this would be a very good signing.”

Ouma is now left looking for other options before the transfer window closes as Sparta Prague clearly do not see a future for him at their club.