FC Zurich chief Ancillo Canepa has hit back at those criticising the decision to sell striker Willy Gnonto to Leeds United on deadline day.
Gnonto completed a last-minute move to Elland Road at the end of the window on Thursday, with Leeds left scrambling to find a striker for Jesse Marsch after Bamba Dieng turned them down in favour of a move to Nice.
They had been interested in Gnonto earlier in the window but struggled to reach an agreement with Zurich, who demanded a fee they were simply unwilling to pay.
Last minute negotiations at the end of the window saw the two sides strike a deal, though, with Gnonto flying to England in the early morning.
While he moves to Elland Road and boosts Leeds for the rest of the season, it has left Zurich without one of their first-team regulars.
That’s seen some criticism of the decision to sell the player so late in the window, but Canepa is having none of that.
“These people are clueless and don’t know the details of the contract,” he told Blick.
“The transfer went through on the terms we had envisaged. Just this: We negotiated well and didn’t let ourselves get rattled.
“Even though the transfer was only registered five minutes before the deadline.
“What is included in the contract remains confidential. But yes, the probability is very high (that the clauses will be met).”
