Essien to Madrid, Kevin to Barca: Five strange transfers involving Ghanaian players

GhanaWeb Feature

The transfer window is opened and the movement of players is in full swing with some Ghanaian players securing some good deals.

Within the top five European countries, Daniel Kofi Kyereh looks to be the Ghanaian player with a major move so far, joining Freiburg from St Pauli.

With more than a

Read full articlemonth left for the window to end, there is still the chance that some Ghanaian players would join new clubs but today GhanaWeb focuses on some transfers that shocked Ghanaians.

Below are some moves involving Ghanaian players in Europe that came out of the blue and shocked the football world.

Kevin Prince Boateng to Barcelona

In the world of strange transfers, Kevin-Prince Boateng’s move to Barcelona in 2019 is still strange.

The forward joined the Bulgrana in a six-month loan deal with the obligation to buy for $8million.

The deal which saw him move from Sassuolo where he became a cult hero shocked many as followers of football could not understand the thinking that went into the deal.

Michael Essien to Real Madrid

After what appeared like an eternal spell at Chelsea, the Ghanaian football legend secured a surprising move to Real Madrid in 2012.

The move would not have been strange if the then 29-year-old was still in his world-class form but the deal happened at the time when he was off the cliff at Chelsea and was finding minutes hard to come by.

At Madrid where Mourinho coaches, Essien did okay but his contract was not renewed.

Michael Essien to Persib

When players are in the twilight of their careers, it is not surprising to see them join clubs in China, the gulf area or the US.

Michael Essien however shocked Ghanaians when he opted to move to Indonesia and join Persib.

After a brief spell at Panathinaikos, the Chelsea legend sought refuge in Indonesia where he played 29 games and scored five goals.

Asamoah Gyan to Al Ain

In the aftermath of the 2010 World Cup, Gyan was one of the hottest commodities on the market. However, after negotiations, the striker opted for Sunderland.

Gyan hit the ground running and got some good goals for the Premier League side. Barely six months later, Gyan was on the move.

Reports indicate that he left Sunderland to join Al Ain in the UAE because of the money that came with it.

Gyan however revealed recently that he was forced by the management of Sunderland to join the club since they needed the money.

Anthony Yeboah to Leeds United

Yeboah’s move from Frankfurt to Leeds is one that raised eyebrows. The Ghanaian striker was a cult hero at Frankfurt and had netted a total of 89 goals for them.

He disclosed in an interview with GTV Sports+ that he left due to a misunderstanding with the Frankfurt coach then.

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