And ill-timed injury, only a couple of weeks before the transfer window opens, can scupper a star’s hopes of making a big-money move. You only need to ask a 34-year-old centre-half about that, his purported move to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur or Aston Villa ki-boshed due to the most cruel of knee issues.
At the time, Christian Luyindama was one of the most admired footballers in the Turkish Super Lig.
The late-blooming defender had been a revelation after joining Galatasaray from Standard Liege, his stellar performances during the club’s 2018/19 title-winning season attracting admiring glances from a number of deep-pocketed clubs looking to enhance their backlines.
Luyindama, speaking in quotes reported by Fotospor, admits that Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa came calling during the first few months of the following campaign. That was, however, until an injury he picked up on international duty put pay to his hopes of a shot at the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa wanted Galatasaray ace
“At that time, I had many offers,” the then-£12 million-rated DR Congo international recalls. “Including from Tottenham and Aston Villa .
“I had to play that match against Gambia and then go back to Istanbul to finalise the details of my transfer. Unfortunately, I injured my knee. My transfer did not happen.
“I couldn’t realise my dreams.”
Now, having turned 34 in January, Luyindama looks destined never to set foot in England’s top flight. His importance to the Galatasaray cause has diminished in recent times too, having been farmed out on loan to Antalyaspor and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Taawoun during the last few seasons.
According to reports from the Middle East, Luyindama will join Chinese Super League outfit Cangzhou Mighty Lions when his Galatasaray contract expires this summer.
Spurs looking at full-backs this summer
Tottenham signed Radu Dragusin in a £26 million deal in January but may still look to enter the defensive market again this summer. HITC understands that full-backs are high on Ange Postecoglou’s list of priorities.
There is interested in Fiorentina right-back Michael Kayode and the left-sided Ferdi Kadioglu, of Galatasaray’s Istanbul neighbours Fenerbahce.
Ben Johnson, due to become a free-agent when his West Ham contract expiring, could kill two birds with one stone, the 24-year-old capable of playing on either flank. HITC have been told that Aston Villa, Everton, Wolves and promotion-chasing Leeds United also like Johnson, with West Ham sending scouts to Spain to keep tabs on Juan Miranda of Real Betis.
“So far there have been proposals for renewal,” Jose Miguel Lopez Catalan, Real Betis’s vice president, said of Miranda’s future. “But for some reason, sporting or economic, we have not been able to reach that agreement. He is a player who obviously attracts other clubs.
“Yes, he talks about Milan, Dortmund or other Spanish teams. Anything can happen. We could find an agreement and renew for many years, or a huge offer could come to him with a salary double or triple what he has here.
“The relationship with his family and with his agent is very good. It is not a tense relationship, but the problem is not just the signing bonus, which can go to the player or the agent, it is the salary.”