Why Harambee Stars captain move fell through
What you need to know:
- The issue had reportedly not gone down well with the Tottenham chairman and could well mean that Kenya’s captain will find it hard to regain his place in the side
- With a number of key players including Dele Alli returning from injury he may not even find himself warming the bench in future games
- Wanyama’s knee injury and loss of pace have contributed to him losing his position as the ‘go-to’ defensive midfield player
Financial and family concerns were the main reasons Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama’s move to the Belgian side Club Brugge fell through, according to reports in the UK press.
Although Wanyama’s family were reported to be originally opposed to the idea of him moving to the Belgian Jupiter pro league, they later changed their minds.
But while Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy spent weeks negotiating the deal, Wanyama is said to have hesitated, apparently using the excuse that he didn’t want to fly from London to Belgium to delay signing.
The sale price had been agreed - Sh1.24 billion (£9 million) rising to Sh1.4 billion (£12 million) - depending on appearances but the sticking point was alleged to be the player's personal terms.
Wanyama had been offered a four-year deal but on a pay cut from his Sh8.1 million-a-week (£65,000) current salary.
The issue had reportedly not gone down well with the Tottenham chairman and could well mean that Kenya’s captain will find it hard to regain his place in the side. With Scottish champions Celtic interested he may well move on in January.
Wanyama made the squad for the first game of the season against Aston Villa but has not been included since. With a number of key players including Dele Alli returning from injury he may not even find himself warming the bench in future games.
Wanyama has two years left on his contract and will now fight to regain his place in the Tottenham midfield although it is likely he will now only be called upon should Tottenham suffer an injury crisis in midfield as they have a multitude of good players there including internationals Tanguy Ndombele, Mousa Sissoko, Harry Winks and Eric Dier.
Wanyama’s knee injury and loss of pace have contributed to him losing his position as the ‘go-to’ defensive midfield player and he made only 13 appearances last season although he did play an important part in the run in to the Champions League final.
