Ex-Premier League champion slammed as ‘strange’ after being accused of doing a runner to avoid transfer exit
Premier League winner Daniel Amartey has been accused of doing a runner to prevent his current club selling him on.
And Turkish giants Besiktas branded the ex-Leicester midfielder a “strange person” after he reportedly snubbed seven different offers.
Amartey joined the Foxes from FC Copenhagen in January 2016 and helped them win a historic league title that May.
He went on to make 145 club appearances, scoring three goals, before leaving for Besiktas last year.
The Istanbul club has now claimed Amartey, 29, ran off to avoid a move to their Super Lig rivals Eyupspor – and refused to board a plane to join a Saudi Arabian club.
He is under contract until 2026 with the club managed by ex-Arsenal star and Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Besiktas spokesman Huseyin Yucel said: “Amartey is a strange person. We made an agreement with a team from Saudi Arabia, but he did not get on the plane.
“We agreed [a deal] with Eyupspor, but he escaped through the back door of our facilities.
“He said: ‘I will go to Germany or England.’ When he was told the transfer window is closed, he said: ‘How will it close?'”
Ghana international Amartey rejected the Super Lig club’s claims.
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He insisted: “They are completely untrue. Nothing like that happened – those allegations should be disregarded.”
Besiktas general secretary Kaan Sakul previously said Amartey turned down a big-money deal with Dubai side Al-Shabab as well as moves to six other clubs.
He said: “So far seven written offers have been received for Daniel Amartey. We reached an agreement with Al-Shabab.
“The player would earn more with them than he would here.
“He said okay, we bought his plane ticket, but he gave up.
“We asked him why, and he said: ‘I don’t want to play in Dubai.’
“We last met with Eyupspor, but the player did not accept this either. Finally we said: ‘Let’s give him what he will get for a year.’
“He said OK, but then sent a message saying he gave up. He said he wants to go in January.”
Amartey was part of Leicester’s 2021 FA Cup-winning matchday squad.
However he was accused of disrespect after appearing to throw a Chelsea pennant onto the dressing-room floor after the game.