Media blamed for unfinished transfer

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

AFP photo

Fenerbahçe vice president Abdullah Kiğılı claimed yesterday that media reports were not helpful in the Istanbul club’s halted proposed transfer of Moroccan footballer Younes Belhanda.

Kiğılı’s announcement came a day after the Turkish media widely reported that Fenerbahçe agreed with the attacker on terms and was close to completing the transfer from Montpellier.

“We have suspended the transfer for now,” Kiğılı told Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk. “The news about Belhanda is all over the papers every day, and so the price of the player went up. The French media and the club are following the news here, so we suspended the transfer for now. He is now too expensive.
The club seeks outrageous figures, so the transfer is frozen for now.”

The Yellow Canaries, who have fallen six points behind leader Galatasaray in the Spor Toto Super League, are seeking an attacking midfielder after the departure of Brazilian superstar Alex de Souza from the club last year.