Besiktas SK spokesman Hüseyin Yücel has revealed that Ghanaian defender Daniel Amartey went to great lengths to avoid a transfer away from the club this summer.
Yücel claimed that during negotiations for a move to Turkish second-tier club Eyüpspor, Amartey “escaped through the back door” to foil the transfer.
Amartey, who joined Besiktas on a free transfer from Leicester City, featured in only 18 Turkish Super Lig matches last season, starting just 12 as he struggled with injuries. Despite having a contract that runs until June 2026, Besiktas reportedly viewed him as a liability and were eager to offload him.
The 29-year-old attracted interest from several clubs, including Al-Shabab in Dubai and Al-Fayha in Saudi Arabia. However, Yücel explained how Amartey thwarted multiple moves.
“Amartey is a strange person. We made an agreement with a team from Saudi Arabia, but he didn’t get on the plane,” Yücel told journalist Ibrahim Sannie Daara. “We agreed with Eyüpspor, and he escaped through the back door of our facilities. He said, ‘I will go to Germany or England.’ When we told him the transfer window was closed, he asked, ‘How will it close?'”
Amartey’s reluctance to leave has left Besiktas in a challenging position as they continue to evaluate his future at the club.
