The story behind Stephen Appiah's failed move to Tottenham in 2009
Former Ghanaian international Stephen Appiah
Former Black Stars skipper Stephen Appiah could have been the next Ghanaian to secure a move to the English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 after parting ways with Turkish giants Fenerbache in 2008.
Read full articleAppiah who was unattached after leaving Fenerbache was one of the summer transfer targets for gaffer Harry Redknapp, who was keen on bringing the Ghanaian international on a free transfer to bolster the team in the January transfer window.
The former Hearts of Oak player visited the training ground of Tottenham Hotspur and held trials with them for a week.
After impressing during the trials, the two parties went to the negotiation table with the aim of reaching a deal but they were unable to reach an agreement.
According to a Bleacher Report publication then, Stephen Appiah and Tottenham did not find common ground on the duration of the contract and the salaries and bonuses.
Excerpts of the report reads; "Tottenham were rumored to have offered a pay-as-you-play deal until the end of the season to Appiah, with talks on a contract extension being dependant on his fitness. Appiah has not played a competitive match since November 2007 after a botched knee operation by Fenerbahce club doctors kept him out of the game for an extended period.
"Tottenham is not the first team to reject Appiah, but his demands for someone who has not played in over a year came as somewhat of a shock to the club. The Ghanaian's demands are believed to have been £60,000 per week and a two-and-a-half year contract, whereas Spurs were offering a deal far less than these demands,".
Stephen Appiah in reaction to the botched deal, hit out at Tottenham for varying the initial terms offered despite his performance during the trial period.
'I was originally meant to stay for five days. But, after that, the club wanted me to stay for another three weeks. After that, they again asked that I stay for a month. I then decided it was better to try elsewhere.".
Having failed to land a deal with the white side of North London, Stephen Appiah sought refuge with Russian side Rubin Kazan but that deal also fell through due to fitness concerns.
Following unsuccessful stints with Bologna, Cesena in Italy, and Vojvodina in Serbia, the former 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner announced his retirement from active football in 2015.
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