PRESIDENT of Turkish top club Trabzonspor Ahmet Ağaoğlu has confirmed the club’s interest in Warriors and Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Ağaoğlu is quoted in Birminghammail saying the club, which is eyeing the league title, will be looking at clubs fighting relegation in the English Premier League to bolster their squad in the next transfer window.
While he did not mention any names in his comments a newspaper in Turkey suggested the club is targeting Nakamba to replace John Obi Mikel, who quit the club last month.
“We are following England, getting players from the relegated teams is a sensible strategy. It’s also economically good for us,” Ağaoğlu said.
Turkish publication Sabah on Tuesday wrote: “The new candidate number six in Trabzonspor is Marvelous Nakamba from Aston Villa.
After the departure of Obi Mikel, Trabzonspor followed six stars for the next season, including Marvelous Nakamba, star player of Aston Villa. Trabzonspor accelerated the transfer of the next season in the meantime given to the Super Lig … Bordeaux-Blues are looking at the number six after the Nigerian football player Obi Mikel left the team . . .”
The Birminghammail also carried the story after that report from Turkey.
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“Marvelous Nakamba has been linked with a shock exit from Aston Villa. According to reports in Turkey, the 26-year-old is a target for Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor. He is the third Villa player to be linked with a move to Turkey by the Press there, with Mbwana Samatta (Galatasaray) and Trezeguet (Besiktas) said to be interesting clubs over there.”
Nakamba was signed by Birmingham-based Villa from Belgium’s Club Brugge in a £12 million deal, becoming the fourth Zimbabwean player to feature in the English Premier League after Bruce Grobbelaar, Peter Ndlovu and Benjani Mwaruwari. Nakamba made 21 appearances for the Villans in the current EPL season before it was suspended.
Trabzonspor rule the roost in the Turkish Super Lig, which also has Yeni Malatyaspor, home to Warriors’ defender Teenage Hadebe. Turkish teams are said to be eyeing players from struggling clubs in the EPL with Mahmoud Hassan commonly known as Trezeguet being linked to Beskitas, while Galatasaray are said to be interested in Tanzanian Mbwana Samatta.
Aston Villa perch precariously on position 19 on the EPL table with a game in hand over their relegation counterparts but surviving the chop could keep the Turkish suitors at bay.
Aston Villa fans are not willing to let go of the Warriors midfielder, but if they were to be relegated they would look to shave off part of their huge wage bill.
