Cephas in transfer saga as international interest heats up

Kevin Cowan, agent of Jamaican international Renaldo Cephas, says the ensuing situation between his client and Turkish club Ankaragücü has become “incredibly unreasonable and unrealistic” amid interest in the transfer market.

Cowan explained that the embroiling situation has been sparked by interest from a club in another country. He confirmed that the unnamed club has approached Ankaragücü in order to acquire Cephas’ services.

Cowan said despite a credible offer from the interested party, Ankaragücü’s transfer demands are unrealistic and could price his player out of a possible move.

“There is significant interest in the player from another country, and it’s definitely in the player’s best interest to pursue this opportunity,” Cowan said. “The offer is incredibly good, especially considering that Ankaragücü is in the second league at the moment.

“What they are asking for is incredibly unreasonable and unrealistic,” he added.

Cephas signed for Ankaragücü in August 2023 and so far, has netted thrice and provided three assists in 35 appearances for the club.

During that period, Ankaragücü finished 17th in the Turkish top flight with 40 points and were relegated to the Trendyol 1. Lig, Turkey’s second division.

Cowan said the recent reports from Turkey detailing Cephas’ disagreement with his club have caused him to publicly address the situation and defend his client’s interests.

“Obviously, there have been multiple reports coming out of Turkey indicating that Renaldo Cephas and his current club, Ankaragücü, are having some kind of problems,” he said.

“As the representative of the player, my role is to defend his rights and interests without breaching the terms of the current employment agreement in place, and that’s precisely what we’ve done.”

Cowan said it is fairly common for a player and club to have disagreements, particularly with regard to the transfer market and club interest.

He maintained that Cephas will perform with the utmost professionalism while still under contract at Ankaragücü.

He said the way forward is for both Cephas and Ankaragücü to find a suitable solution that will benefit the player’s and the club’s interests.

“What I can say is that it’s quite normal from time to time for a player and his club to have a disagreement. The key is to try to find an amicable solution.

“For now, Cephas is a player of Ankaragücü, and he will continue to respect the club and his contract. However, we will continue to fight for his rights while being in pursuit of his best interests.”

Ankaragücü have played twice so far in the Turkish second division this season, with Cephas yet to feature for the club.