Estonian national team centre-back Maksim Paskotši has signed a four-year contract with Belgian top-tier club KAA Gent, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2029.
Paskotši, 22, came through the youth system at Tottenham Hotspur and made the move to senior football in 2023 when he joined Grasshoppers in Switzerland. Over two seasons there, he made 61 appearances and scored twice, with his final goal coming just last weekend against FC Basel – shortly before news broke of his likely transfer to Belgium.
Now the move is official. Paskotši, who has already earned 37 caps for the Estonian national team, has been introduced as the newest addition to Gent’s squad.
Gent head coach Ivan Leko praised the signing, saying the defender brings speed, physicality, and a reliable mentality. According to Leko, Paskotši is the kind of player who consistently gives everything for the team.
Gent, who faced Tallinna FC Flora in the 2021/22 UEFA Conference League group stage, previously had Estonian winger Ramol Sillamaa on their second team earlier this year. Sillamaa has since returned home after a spell in Slovakia.
KAA Gent has one Belgian league title to its name (2014/15) and four Belgian Cup wins (1964, 1984, 2010, 2022). Despite regularly featuring in European competitions in recent years, the club missed out this season after finishing sixth in the domestic league.
The new Belgian Pro League season is already underway, with Gent picking up one win and one loss from their first two matches. Their next fixture is set for August 9, when they host defending champions Union Saint-Gilloise, whose squad includes former Nõmme Kalju striker Promise David and Riga FC star Ousseynou Niang.
