Four years in Istanbul
One season on the Cote d’Azur. That is all it took.
Fenerbahce confirmed on Friday night the signing of Kojo Peprah Oppong. The 22-year-old Ghanaian centre-back leaves OGC Nice and has put pen to paper for the next four seasons with the Istanbul club. The Turkish statement said an agreement had been reached, but gave no fee.
The unveiling is already booked. Saturday, August 29, in the 1907 stand at the Chobani Stadyumu Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu, a setting the club saves for arrivals it wants the fans to notice.
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Nice sell one of the few things that worked
The logic on the Nice side is not complicated. In a rough season, Oppong was one of the club’s rare success stories. His value climbed at exactly the moment OGC Nice needed to raise money.
This exit does not stand alone. Nice had already sold Mohamed-Ali Cho to Hull City on Thursday, and Olivier Pantaloni admitted this afternoon that he still fears more departures before the window shuts on Tuesday night. Melvin Bard is drawing interest from across the Channel too.
Four days to rebuild a defensive core. Selling a 22-year-old centre-back this late in the market leaves almost no room to find a proper replacement, and everyone at the Allianz Riviera knows it.
Fenerbahce cash in on a loud summer
On the Turkish side, this slots into a busy run of business. Fenerbahce knocked Olympique Lyonnais out of Champions League qualifying this week and will now play in the league phase. N’Golo Kante and Mason Greenwood have also arrived in recent months, which tells you plenty about how the club is operating in the European market.
A 22-year-old centre-back on a four-year contract is a different kind of signing. Quieter, longer-term. The question is how quickly the Ghanaian wins his place in a back line where the Istanbul crowd hands out very little patience.
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