Deal Debacle
Grilled's attempt to move winger
Shiya Shaahee on met with failure, as the Maldives star was unable to persuade his suitors from coming up with the Birds' release fee. Romanian Division Six side Suwon Samsung Blue Wings' final offer of S$3.5 million was far below the S$5 million that Grilled were holding out for, making any transfer impossible.
Other than the Blue Wings, Goedkoopbier.nl (Dutch Division Six) and Paignton Dynamos (English Division Four) both submitted substantial bids, with JUVENTU$ DAMILENI (also Romanian Division Six), Orły Gorskiego (Polish Division Seven), Xeneizes FutbolClub. (Argentine Division Seven), Bulls Football Club (Turkish Division Six), Fc Boshi 83 (Turkish Division Seven), TS Łabędy (Polish Division Seven), nk knin -black tigers (Croatian Division Six) and Varnelli (Italian Division Six) expressing interest. Unfortunately, none of them made an acceptable offer.
Grilled coach
Niculae Stanca accepted that a suitable transaction might take some time in the deflated market, and urged Shaahee to honour his contract while he remains here. "Shiya was always an excellent option, and we will not shy away from playing him at the right moments. Of course, we won't stop him from talking to other clubs either."
There were better tidings for two academy boys, as Aziman Khairil and Seah Seng Yau secured free transfers. Khairil will now ply his trade with newly-formed local Division Four side Westral FC, who had also put out feelers for Shiya, as he was signed together with Bruce Tao from former leaguemate Changi Genius.
Youth coach Raymond Chang is convinced that Westral have found themselves a raw diamond. "While it's true that Aziman hasn't been on the headlines, he has some intangibles that are extremely hard to teach, such as how he attacks the ball in the air. Give him more time, and Westral will have a solid old-time target man on their books."
Midfielder Seah on the other hand made his way to Portugal, hot on the footsteps of Gwee Wai Yi, who departed a week before him. The nineteen year-old had been concerned that he had become overaged, but Filipe Antunes, head coach of Coimbra Division Seven outfit -Frosty Snow-, apparently didn't think so.
Stanca revealed that he had been impressed by Seah's persistence. "He's chasing his dream. Who knows where it will take him? Take Mohammad Musa, for example, no-one thought too much of him when he left for Norway on a free, and now I hear his current Czech side are valuing him at over S$4 million, and he's not twenty-one yet!"
