With Liverpool believed to have signed 17-year-old Ghana forward Abdul Fatawu Issahaku from Steadfast FC, the club’s president has now confirmed his sale.
The Reds have been linked with Fatawu Issahaku since the end of May, when it was claimed they were looking to hijack Bayer Leverkusen’s deal for the Ghanaian.
It was then revealed that Leverkusen had pulled out and Liverpool had moved to pole position, before claims that an agreement had been reached to loan him for Sporting CP until he is able to secure a UK work permit.
Now, according to Football Ghana, Haruna Iddrisu, owner and president of Steadfast FC, has confirmed Fatawu Issahaku’s move.
Iddrisu was explaining the importance of marketing young Ghanaian players and attaining sponsorships when he revealed that Liverpool would pay “more than €1 million” for the teenager.
He told reporters: “When I started negotiation for Abdul Issahaku Fatawu’s move abroad, it started from more than €1 million and this means if we get corporate sponsorships, we can do better.”
Fatawu Issahaku is, in fact, reported to have cost Liverpool around £1.5 million, which reflects his blossoming reputation in his home country, as part of the senior Ghana squad.
The youngster was an unused substitute in friendly clashes with Morocco and the Ivory Coast this month, having already scored in a ‘B’ team loss to Uzbekistan in March.
He was named Player of the Tournament at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year, having scored twice including one from inside his own half.
There is no official confirmation of Fatawu Issahaku’s move at this stage, though given the nature of the deal it is unlikely he will be unveiled by Liverpool.
Sporting CP could announce his arrival when the loan is made official, otherwise the first mention of his switch to Merseyside may come with his registration upon the start of the season.