Italian Serie A side Parma Calcio are preparing a big-money offer for Kenyan international Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma Otieno, aiming to sign the left-back from Polish Ekstraklasa outfit Raków Częstochowa, Africa Foot has exclusively learned.
Parma have already made initial contact with both Raków Częstochowa and the player’s representatives, and are now preparing to table a formal bid in the region of €2 million (approximately Ksh 285 million). However, it remains uncertain whether Raków will accept the opening offer.
In January, Kazakhstani side FC Astana submitted a €1.7 million (Ksh 242 million) bid for Ouma, which was swiftly rejected by Raków, who then valued the player at €2.5 million (Ksh 356 million).
A source at Ouma’s management agency, 11MANGMT, disclosed that formal talks began on Thursday, and Raków are expected to turn down Parma’s initial approach.
“First, Raków are not easy negotiators—they’re not desperate to sell. Second, they value Erick (Ouma) very highly and see him as one of the team’s leaders. So it’s going to be a complicated negotiation for Parma. They clearly want the player, but their valuation is currently below Raków’s expectations. If they want a deal, they’ll have to raise their offer,” the source stated.
Raków signed Ouma from Swedish club AIK for €700,000 (Ksh 100 million) ahead of the 2023/24 season. Since then, the versatile full-back has made 36 appearances in all competitions, contributing two goals and four assists.
Before his move to Poland, Ouma featured for several clubs including Kisumu All Stars, Gor Mahia (Kenya), Vasalunds IF (Sweden), and Kolkheti Poti (Georgia). His experience and consistency have made him a standout player both domestically and internationally.
Currently valued at €1,2 million by Transfermarkt, Ouma is one of the most experienced members of the Kenyan national team, the Harambee Stars. Since making his senior debut in 2016, he has earned 48 international caps and provided four assists.
With Parma pushing for his signature, and Raków holding firm on their valuation, the coming weeks could define one of East Africa’s most high-profile transfers of the summer.
