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Steadfast originally sold Fatawu to Sporting Lisbon for just 1.2 million pounds in 2022 but are set to profit even more significantly from his sale to Leicester City, which could completely change its fortunes.
Ghanaian football club Steadfast FC is poised for a significant windfall as talented winger Abdul Fatawu prepares to join Leicester City on a permanent basis following a successful loan spell from Portuguese champions-elect Sporting Lisbon.
Leicester City secured Fatawu's services last summer, initially acquiring him on loan from Sporting Lisbon after a less-than-stellar stint in their C team. The deal reportedly involved a transfer fee of £1.2 million (approximately 20.8 million Ghanaian cedi), as documented by TransferMarkt.
Anticipating the potential success of their promising talent, Steadfast FC wisely negotiated a 50% sell-on clause for the first three years of Fatawu's move to Sporting Lisbon, ensuring that they would benefit from any future transfer.
Although Fatawu's season-long loan in Portugal saw him facing challenges in making a significant impact, Sporting Lisbon opted not to retain him, thus triggering a mandatory buy option included in the initial agreement. Leicester City, having secured promotion, activated this buy option, committing to a transfer fee of £17 million (approximately 294.2 million Ghanaian cedi).
As a result of their astute negotiation, Steadfast FC stands to receive just over £7.9 million (approximately 117.1 million Ghanaian cedi) from Fatawu's permanent transfer to Leicester City, courtesy of their lucrative 50% sell-on clause.
About Abdoul Fatawu
Fatawu started playing football at the Utrecht Academy in his hometown, before starting his professional career with another local club, Steadfast F.C.
It was a speedy start to life with Steadfast too, as Fatawu netted eight goals and laid on five assists in just 13 matches before the 2019/20 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, when football returned in 2021/22, the youngster shone again, with 12 goals in 14 appearances in Ghana’s Access Bank Division One League. Eight of those performances, on the other hand, ended up with Fatawu taking home the Man of the Match award.
Despite interest from Europe, a loan move to Ghanian side Dreams F.C. enabled him to continue earning a reputation with another six goals in seven games. It was becoming clear that Fatawu belonged at a higher level, but his destination was unclear.
That question was answered in 2022 when Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon made their move.
Albeit limited to substitute appearances, Fatawu has UEFA Champions League experience under his belt too – playing in a 2-0 defeat by Marseille and a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur last season. Lisbon eventually found themselves in the UEFA Europa League and another cameo outing in a 2-2 draw with English side Arsenal followed in March.
That encounter with the Gunners came after a brief but nonetheless huge moment for Fatawu, who came off the bench late on for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last December, losing out 2-0 to Uruguay in the group stage. He also helped his country win the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2021, named as the competition’s best player at the end.
Fatawu’s career is just getting started, but there’s so much to be excited about for the Ghanian forward.
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11:27 - 28.04.2024
Nigeria's Ndidi, Ghana's Fatawu and other brains behind Leicester City's Premier League promotion
A look at the collective effort and the contributions of various players and the manager in Leicester City's successful promotion campaign to the Premier League led by Nigeria's Wilfred Ndidi.
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