Everton’s prospective new owner is being blamed for trying to force one of his players to move to Fulham on the last day of the transfer window.
John Textor is the owner of Lyon and has been at the centre of the drama as Ernest Nuamah has been heavily linked with a move to Craven Cottage.
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A deal for the winger’s transfer had already been agreed between Lyon and Fulham, with only a medical still to be carried out, when the deal began to crumble.
According to reports in France, Nuamah was not keen on the move to England and decided to take an unauthorized absence from the squad, refusing to answer the phone or show his face while those around him tried to arrange his medical appointment with the Premier League club.
Nuamah never wanted the move and was reportedly in tears at the prospect of a transfer to Fulham. The deal was pushed through by Textor and the French club’s management, who were looking to break even for the year.
Instead, the 20-year-old Ghanaian wanted to stay and fight for his place at Lyon, which will compete in the Europa League.
After privately apologizing to the player, Textor has since spoken about the saga in a press conference, saying: “He didn’t want to go.
“I contacted Ernest [Nuamah] very quickly, I apologized, I learned a lot.
“He is a very valuable person.
“When decisions like this are made, the players say: OL is a big club with exceptional facilities. We are in the Europa League.”
Textor is the most promising name in the race to take over Everton Football Club, with the American currently in an exclusivity phase.
Textor, who currently owns a 45 percent stake in Crystal Palace, has hinted that a deal with the Merseysiders is imminent – although Everton’s interim CEO Colin Chong played down this.
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On Everton’s official website, Chong wrote: “The club is aware of comments made by John Textor in relation to the potential purchase of the club.”
“While we continue to have positive discussions with Mr. Textor and are making progress toward formalizing any potential agreement with him, there remains work to be done to complete the transaction.
“Accordingly, Mr Textor’s comments merely represent his personal opinion on club matters.
“Everyone at the club is focused on providing Sean with the best possible support. [Dyche] and the team as we prepare for this weekend’s games.
“The club will provide updates regarding the new investment when there is any material news that needs to be communicated to fans and other shareholders and this will be done through official club channels.”