Yaya Sanogo has told So Foot he came close to joining Middlesbrough earlier in his career.
The Frenchman spent four years at Arsenal and struggled to make an impact at the north London club. They sent him out on loan before releasing him at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Sanogo moved to Toulouse and enjoyed regular minutes during his three-year spell at the Ligue 1 side. He left them as a free agent in 2020 and this is likely when Middlesbrough wanted to bring him back to England.
The deal to take the 31-year-old to the Championship side was advanced, so much so that he had medical tests with them. The transfer wasn’t completed after Middlesbrough found a concern with his fitness during examinations.
According to the former Gunners man, he didn’t have any issues, and he’s accused Boro of inventing an injury he never had.
After the failed move to Middlesbrough, he wasn’t able to find another club immediately and had to wait until February 2021, when Huddersfield Town signed him.
“I was supposed to sign for Middlesbrough, I had agreed with them, but during the medical examination, they invented a shoulder problem that I never had,” he said.
“After that, everyone asked me if I was injured. They wrote in the press that I had failed the medical examination, and therefore the clubs always had a little reluctance, while I had nothing.
“I was training with Auxerre and Toulouse, but I had no problems at that time. I didn’t understand. I found myself without playing for months, it’s hard. I trained with the reserve team, I did full weeks, but I didn’t have a competitive match.”
Sanogo has been with Chinese side Qingdao Red Lions FC since the start of this year.
