Asante Kotoko star striker Sogne Yacouba is set to leave the premier league giants after the club’s Executive Chairman His Honour Dr. Kwame Kyei revealed that his outfit cannot meet the demands of the Burkinabe international.
Yacouba’s contract with the Porcupine Warriors is set to expire in April but all efforts of the club to renew the player’s contract have fallen on rocks as the club has failed to reach agreement with the former Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou player.
Addressing Asante Kotoko fans after the club’s 2-0 win over Ebusua Dwarfs in the premier league week five fixture on Sunday, Executive Chairman Dr. Kwame Kyei frankly disclosed that his outfit cannot pay Yacouba’s demand of $150,000 and will not be able to renew his contract.
“For Sogne Yacouba’s contract issue, honestly before God, that amount he asked us to pay to him, the $150, 000 we can’t, there is no way we can give him that money”, Dr. Kyei revealed. ” If we don’t tell you (Kotoko supporters) the truth and the time comes and we say we can sign Sogne Yacouba then we’ve lied to you”, he maintained.
Yacouba and his representatives are demanding a signing on fee of $150,000 before he renews his contract with Asante Kotoko, but the club believes, much as he may worth that amount, the financial strength of the club presently cannot pay such an amount to a single player, considering the total wage bill of the club.
Dr. Kyei further stressed, that Kotoko had an offer for Yacouba and asked him to leave, but he declined and but the club does not have the strength to provide what he is demanding.
“We had an offer for him to leave which would have landed us $150,000, we asked him to go but he said he won’t and now he is charging us $150,000 but for that amount, we can’t afford”, he insisted.
The January transfer window is still opened and Yacouba has the chance to leave the Baba Yara stadium side any moment from now.