Dutch Eredivisie side, Sparta Rotterdam have to send Fortuna Düsseldorf part of the money they received for the upcoming transfer of Nigeria’s Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye to English Premier League club, Watford.
According to reports, Sparta Rotterdam are set to end their association with the Nigeria international in exchange for five million euros, a tidy profit considering that the goalkeeper arrived as a free agent in July 2020.
Cologne-based regional newspaper, Express says Okoye’s transfer would earn Fortuna Düsseldorf 750,000 euros as the German 2 Bundesliga club inserted a fifteen percent sell-on clause into the deal taking the goalkeeper to Sparta.
For the sake of clarity, Sparta Rotterdam could not or did not want to pay a training compensation to Fortuna Düsseldorf so both clubs negotiated a sell-on clause instead.
Meanwhile, there is a dispute between the current sports director of Fortuna Düsseldorf, Uwe Klein and his predecessor Lutz Pfannenstiel, who is now the sporting director of St. Louis Soccer Club, over the exit of Okoye from Fortuna.
“There were contracts for Okoye that I had prepared. The players and consultants had them in spring 2020,” Pfannenstiel said to Express.
“I really don’t blame Uwe for making the decision like that. But he should just stand by it and not once again blame others for it. “
Defending himself, Klein: “If a former goalkeeper is so convinced of a talent, I ask myself: Why was the contract not extended four weeks before the end?
“I prefer to stick to the facts: to us no plans for an allegedly fixed loan to Sparta Rotterdam were passed on! “
Pfannenstiel, who has a good relationship with Gernot Rohr, recommended Okoye to the Super Eagles manager and, as they say, the rest is history.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
