Linked with Crystal Palace and West Ham, Johan Djourou eventually ended up signing with Antalyaspor for nothing, having been available on a free all summer after his contract with Hamburg came to an end in June.
While Premier League sides were indeed after him, one English club who came very, very close to signing him were Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls, who are one of the favourites to get promoted to the Premier League this season, made an approach towards the beginning of August, and it all looked on the verge of completion.
Unfortunately, that’s when the Turkish side came along and scuppered his move to Hillsborough.
Speaking to Le Temps in Switzerland, Johan Djourou’s agent, Costa Bonato, explained what happened.
Sheffield Wednesday had everything going for them, including the financial backing to pay more than most European sides who were after him.
In fact, at that point, they were his best offer, both financially and on a football level.
When Antalyaspor first arrived, Bonato explained it was a ‘most likely no’ scenario, but he decided to meet with the club’s representatives anyway, just in case.
Not overly impressed after the meeting, he still gave them Djourou’s number, just so they could have a chat with him.
That’s when it all went wrong for Sheffield Wednesday.
Djourou already knew the Turkish club’s president, Ali Safak Ozturk, having already met him when he lived in London during his time at Arsenal.
Convincing him with a ‘prince-like’ reception, the Switzerland international is sold, describing it like ‘love at first sight’.
That’s when Bonato tells Le Temps Djourou gave him the instruction to ‘negotiate the details. I’m up for it.”
