The English Premier League is a hotspot for every footballer and Serigne Modou Kara Mbodji is no different.
The Senegal international was on the brink of moving to the Premier League with reports of Sunderland, Leicester City and Crystal Palace breathing down on Anderlecht in a desperate bid to sign its star defender.
Palace was particularly understood to have tabled a fee in the region of £8m to test the Belgian giants’ resolve. Faltering defending champions, Leicester sneaked in and attempted to gain momentum by lodging a £10m bid.
However, the Purple and White turned down the offers telling suitors the player is not available.
The Royal Sporting Club has missed out on the Belgian First Division A title in the last three years and wants a change to their current predicament. To do that, they will need their key players.
Cashing in on Mbodji will represent a huge financial gain after the 27-year-old put on an impressive display in the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations, but the timing of the transfer proposal wasn’t ideal.
The offers largely from EPLS clubs arrived at a time Anderlecht were making due with fringe players at the back, having being rocked by a crisis in defense.
With hopes of a move to England dashed, Mbodji went ballistic and refused to return to his club, choosing instead to stay in the West African nation following Senegal’s AFCON quarter-final exit.
The defender’s decision to go AWOL was aimed at forcing the Belgian side to reconsider allowing him to leave before closure of the transfer window.
Aware of ruining Mbodji’s long harbored ambition of playing in the EPL, club chairman Roger Van Den Stock decided to appease the defender by offering him an improved pay and a strong promise of releasing him when clubs come calling at season’s end.
But whether chairman Stock will stick by his word remains to be seen.Mbodji eventually returned to make his first appearance for Anderlecht since ending his protest and starred in the win over Zulte-Wargem on Sunday.
Featured photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
