Montpellier deal for Yahia Attiyat-Allah collapses due to Wydad Casablanca demands | OneFootball

Despite being the club’s transfer priority, Moroccan international left-back Yahia Attiyat-Allah will not join Montpellier this month as a result of selling team Wydad Casablanca’s high demands, according to L’Équipe this afternoon.

A last-minute demand from the African Champions League winners’ president Saïd Naciri is said to have scuppered the deal at the last minute. The 27-year-old had been the first choice to replace Nicolas Cozza, who has moved on to Wolfsburg this month.

A €1.2m deal had been agreed, but as first reported by RMC the president had demanded that the sum be paid in full to him before the player’s medical, which Montpellier could not legally do. Attiyat-Allah is reportedly completely dispirited, having spent the day at the French embassy to get his visa, while his advisors and the Montpellier delegation found out about the news just as they were set to fly out from Marseille. Montpellier have now turned their attention towards Toulouse’s Issiaga Sylla as a back-up plan.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin