Rangers transfer 'leak' sparks fury from ex Man United + Arsenal star amid talk of record-breaking bid
The Dutch legend has been ‘annoyed’ by transfer murmurs over potential deals escaping the his club’s inner circle
Feyenoord head coach Robin van Persie admits the latest set of ‘leaked’ transfer murmurs from inside their Rotterdam camp has left him deeply “frustrated and annoyed”.
In-demand Rangers striker Hamza Igamane is high on the Dutch giants transfer wishlist, with the Daily Record reporting last week, that the big spending Eredivisie outfit are considering breaking the bank and shattering their own transfer record by launching a big money move for the 22-year-old.
To date, the Ibrox club have stood firm on their £15 million valuation of Igamane amid ongoing interest from Lille, while with Everton and Rennes are also among the clubs on high alert this summer.
The Moroccan international had already agreed personal terms over a move to the Ligue 1 club, but talks have since stalled over the multi-million pound asking price just 12 months on from his £1.7m move from FAR Rabat.
Robin van Persie ‘frustrated’ after transfer murmurs escape Feyenoord’s inner circle
However, former Manchester United and Arsenal striker van Persie has been left concerned after news got out about their interest in Igamane and losing out on the signing of Valentin Gomez to Real Betis.
The recently appointed Feyenoord boss told VI: “What I personally find annoying, and I want to express this, is that quite a lot of things leak at Feyenoord. I really hope Feyenoord supporters realise this; it hinders potential transfers. Because it simply hinders potential transfers. That's happened several times now. I'm not saying that every scoop is spot on, because sometimes they're wrong, but it doesn't help the club.
“That makes the job very difficult for Dennis te Kloese (technical director) for example. Suppose we're working on a transfer together, and it leaks out too early, then the Feyenoord supporters who leak it have to take into account that this will have a negative impact on a potential transfer for their club.
“That's something I think I hope we'll start thinking about more together. It's a very frustrating factor and it also hinders the process. Sometimes we just need a few days for things to calm down.”
Van Persie has been backed by club supremo Toon van Bodegom so far this summer by splashing out around £10m to snap up last season’s Dutch player of the year, Sem Steijn from FC Twente - making the playmaker the most expensive recruit in their history.
Feyenoord’s reported interest comes on the back off French side Lille playing a waiting game, with the club’s president Olivier Letang now claiming they are cash-rich and have no need to sell their top players this summer.
He told La Voix Du Nord: “Even if nearly €25 million in revenue has vanished in the space of two years from TV we're in a good position. We're probably going to have the fourth year in a row where we've had the best economic performance, while maintaining sporting momentum
“It would take exceptional circumstances for one or two players to leave us; there won't be a fire sale, there's no open door at all. Our best marketing tool is to win matches, and the goal is for the team to remain as competitive as possible.”
Igamane was absent from Russell Martin’s matchday squad for Saturday’s pre-season friendly clash with Middlesbrough after picking up a knock in the 2-0 Champions League first leg victory over Panathinaikos.