Yobo Goes to Fenerbahce as Everton blocks West Ham move
Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo has completed his season-long loan move from English Premier League side Everton to top Turkish side Fenerbahce.
The deal, which includes the option to make the transfer permanent when the loan ends next summer, was completed yesterday afternoon ahead of the closure of the Turkish transfer window, after the 29-year-old agreed terms and passed a medical.
A deal had been agreed between the two clubs earlier this week. Fernerbahce once had in its fold former Super Eagles captains, Okechukwu Uche and Augustine Okocha, and they have won the Turkish Super League a record 17 times; a record they share with fierce rivals Galatasaray.
Yobo, who joined Everton from French club Olympique Marseille in 2002, has not played for the Merseyside-based club this season.
His arrived Everton initially on loan from Marseille – the deal was made permanent before the end of the 2002/03 season – thus becoming the first signing to be made by the club’s boss David Moyes, who joined Everton from Preston North End.
Yobo, made over 250 appearances for Everton and back in 2007 captained the side in the absence of club captain Phil Neville, but the form of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka saw him lose his place in the first team towards the end of last season – he started only 14 league games.
His current deal with the club doesn’t however expire until the summer of 2014 and English tabloid The Mirror reported that the defender has ruled out signing permanently with the Turkish side.
The newspaper says that the Nigerian, who only got married at the start of the year, plans to come back to England for the sake of his children’s education.
Kaita moves to Ukrain
Meanwhile, midfielder Sani Kaita has signed a three-year deal with top Ukrainian side FC Metalist Kharkiv.
According to one of the player’s representatives, Tijani Babangida, in a report on a Nigerian website, Kaita signed on Tuesday and was thrilled to turn his back on AS Monaco of France.
“It’s a big move for Kaita because Metalist are involved in the Europa League and it will therefore be a great platform for the player to show the whole world what he is capable of,” said the former Ajax and Nigeria winger.”
Metalist are drawn in Group I of the Europa League along with PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands, Italy’s Sampdoria and Debrecen of Hungary.
“He’s delighted to have finally made this switch, but we have told him that everything is now up to him – to start playing a minimum of 20 games a season. He will be judged by his performance,” Babangida added.
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder, who could also have moved to English Championship side Leicester but for his lack of international games, has already played on loan in Russia.
The deal taking the 24-year-old to the Ukrainian outfit was brokered by his manager, Dimitri Seluk, who also manages Manchester City’s Ivorian international Yaya Toure.
Related posts:
- Yobo Joins Nsofor at West Ham
- Obinna Nsofor Join West Ham on Loan
- Heartland Record First Champions League Win, Eaglets Fall in Congo
- Enyeama, Echiejile help Clubs Qualify for Champions League Group Stage