Italian giants AS Roma are reportedly keen on signing Kenyan defender Joseph Okumu, who currently plays for French club Stade de Reims.The tall central defender has been a mainstay in Reims’ defense since joining the club before the start of last season from Belgian side K.A.A. Gent. He could be set for another move, this time to the Italian capital if media reports in Italy are to be believed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8203995##According to the Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, Roma are big admirers of the Harambee Stars player and have already made contact with his representatives to strike a deal. If completed, Okumu would become the first Kenyan to play for AS Roma.Okumu signed for Reims in July 2023 on a five-year deal, meaning it will take a substantial fee for Roma to secure his services. The Daniele De Rossi-coached team believes that a fee of around 15 million euros will be enough for Reims to allow the defender to leave.The former Chemelil Sugar defender is no stranger to transfer speculation, as he has been linked with moves to top European clubs every transfer window. Last year, he was linked with a switch to Arsenal and has also been linked with Valencia of Spain in the past.Lorna Nyabuto reveals how racism, delayed payments forced her to flee Albanian clubIn an earlier interview, his agent Omar Banza mentioned that they had bigger ambitions despite sealing a move to Reims. He said the goal was to continue moving forward and keeping all options open.“When it comes to transfers, nothing complicated, just clubs doing business and we work for our client to have a good project both financially and sporting-wise,” Banza told Pulse Sports.“After Reims, we still don’t know. Right now, our client is happy where he is, focusing on achieving something with the club, but of course, we are still dreaming. Playing in France is a good step forward though not the final destination yet.”Okumu started his career at Chemelil Sugar in 2016. In the same year, he joined Free State Stars of South Africa. In 2018, he moved to the US, joining AFC Ann Arbor and later Real Monarchs. In 2019, he joined IF Elfsborg of Sweden before moving to Belgium in 2021, where he lasted until last year when he joined Reims.FKF Women’s Cup: Ulinzi Starlets see off Kibera Soccer to bag third straight title
