Galatasaray insider Süleyman Rodop has said the club’s leadership did not do enough to get Nigerian player Ademola Lookman in during the January transfer window.
He disclosed that he called several times to try and get the deal done before Lookman later moved to Spain and now plays at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Lookman had a great game in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, scoring one and providing another as Atlético Madrid beat Barcelona 4-0.
Before finalizing his transfer to the Spanish capital, the Nigerian was closely linked with a potential move to Galatasaray.
However, their main competitors, Fenerbahçe, were the closest to signing the former Atalanta player, but the deal fell through because they could not give the needed bank guarantee even though they had already agreed with the Italian club.
Rodop complimented Lookman’s great performance and said the Yellow-Reds missed a chance to make a big signing that could decide the title.
“Lookman went right through Barcelona. Rodop was quoted by habersarikirmizi as saying.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I called the executives during the transfer window, asking them repeatedly, ‘sign this player, and we’ll guarantee the championship.
He also said that Galatasaray should be thankful that Fenerbahçe couldn’t complete the transfer at the last moment.
He said, “They should be thankful that Fenerbahçe wasn’t able to provide the guarantee letter at the last minute.”
Since moving to Spain, Lookman has kept up his excellent performance, scoring two goals and providing two assists in just three matches across all competitions.