Odjidja-Ofoe blames interference for failed Goodison move

Lyndon Lloyd Wednesday, 14 June, 2017 6comments | Jump to most recent

It was another failed transfer deadline-day move that just seemed so "Everton, that" back in September 2012 when Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe's loan switch collapsed but the Belgian believes something more sinister was afoot at the time.

23 years old at the time, Odjidja-Ofoe looked to have completed a transfer from Club Brugge to Goodison Park at the very last minute of the transfer window but FIFA ultimately blocked the deal on the grounds that the paperwork wasn't completed in time.

It seemed like a similar situation to another proposed loan move by David Moyes for Ever Banega that never materialised or the transfer of Leory Fer that also fell apart at the last minute but in this instance it seems as though the fault did not rest with the Blues.

Odjidja-Ofoe would end up in the Premier League two years later when he joined Norwich City and spent two seasons at Carrow Road before leaving for current club Legia Warsaw via a loan spell at Rotherham but he feels his career path would have been very different had some not deliberately blocked his transfer to Everton.

“The transfer was registered four minutes too late," Odjidja-Ofoe explained to Sport Foot in Belgium. "Had I signed for Everton a day earlier, my career would be completely different. On the last day of the window, I was ready to sign somewhere.

“Five minutes before midnight, my agent got the green light. I signed a blank contract. I didn't even know how much I'd earn or how long I'd be staying.

"We had to talk with Everton about that. Later, I learnt that someone had deliberately blocked my transfer.”

Reader Comments (6)

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Paul Hughes
9 Posted 14/06/2017 at 18:26:14

Lucky escape if you ask me. He did nothing at Norwich for two years. And with this fella I'd have dreaded someone starting up a chant of 'give me an "O"'.

Anthony Burke
27 Posted 14/06/2017 at 21:53:49

I seriously wanted him to sign. How wrong would I have been?

Jamie Sweet
31 Posted 14/06/2017 at 22:25:47

I remember watching the YouTube videos of him when it looked like he was signing and thinking that he looked absolute dynamite.

Perhaps he could have been. But his career since then has left me wondering if YouTube highlights are actually very reliable. I know this will come as a shock to some people.

Rob Hamilton
41 Posted 15/06/2017 at 09:56:59

YouTube videos can be misleading. Jo also had some great highlights from his time in Russia, but was a complete flop at Everton.

John Smith
44 Posted 15/06/2017 at 21:57:56

But we did enjoy yelling Ole!

Anthony Dwyer
45 Posted 20/06/2017 at 23:14:45

Vincent Kompany gave this lad a glowing reference, goes to show what mates do for each other.

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