Annoyed Sneijder to take his time mulling offers

MILAN

Wesley Sneijder continues to dominate the Turkish and Italian football scenes as the Dutchman has yet to respond to Galatasaray’s lucrative offer to him. The midfielder is understood to take his time and will listen to all offers until the end of the current transfer window on Jan 31. AP photo

Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder has expressed irritation with the pressure put on him and says he will take time mulling all offers, including Galatasaray’s.

The Dutch superstar told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport that he is not happy with the pressure exerted by those calling on him to make up his mind on his next destination.

“The pressure being put on me is annoying,” the 28-year-old said in an apparent response to Inter and Galatasaray.

Earlier this week, Inter President Massimo Moratti called on the Dutchman to be “a professional” and respond to Galatasaray’s offer.

Yesterday, NTV Spor reporter Irmak Kazuk announced that Galatasaray asked Sneijder to announce his decision in the “next 24 hours.”

However, the Dutchman says he will take his time until the end of the current transfer window.

“After all that has happened in the last few months, in the context that I along with my teammates made football history here, I don’t want to hear pressure being put on me,” he said.

“Look, like all of the players who need to decide where to go this month, I have until Jan. 31. I’m in no rush and I don’t want to be rushed.”

Last week, Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti confirmed that the Italian club had accepted an 8 million euro offer from Galatasaray.

The Turkish champion, hoping to boost its squad ahead of next month’s Champions League round-of-16 tie against Germany’s Schalke 04, tried to make Sneijder agree to a lucrative salary through an initial payment of 6 million euros, in addition to a 3.2 million euro yearly salary and 25,000 euros per appearance.

However, it is understood that Sneijder still expects to hear more offers, including from some Premier League clubs, his agent Soren Lerby told BBC Sport last week. But there are no concrete offers from Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool, three English clubs that were linked to Sneijder.

‘Important decision’

“My doubts do not have anything to do with the offers that I have received,” he continued. “It’s just that after all that I have done I don’t want to feel the way I do, almost forced to make an important life decision in a short space of time. It’s got nothing to do with money.”

Although he was instrumental in Inter’s Champions League victory in 2010, Sneijder has fallen out of favor at the Italian giants since the departure of coach Jose Mourinho, and has participated in just five matches this season under coach Andrea Stramaccioni. Despite a disappointing campaign, the Dutchman remains one of the highest-profile midfielders in the game today and may be a game-changer for whichever club he decides to ply his trade with in the end.