Exactly a week after English Premiership side Aston Villa and Club Brugge agreed terms for the transfer of Zimbabwe midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, a deal is yet to be unveiled.
The parties are trying to resolve issues related to the player’s personal terms and his need for a special clearance to get a work permit.
About 20 transfers have since been sealed by English Premiership teams since it was revealed that Villa and Brugge have agreed terms for Nakamba to move to the English Premiership.
The Herald has been advised that the outstanding issues are related to the player’s personal terms, despite reports by the Football Insider that Nakamba is set to earn £55 000-a-week from his Villa deal, and deliberations related to his work permit issues.
While the Birmingham club have been intent on sealing the deal, and unveiling the player, consideration also has to be given to the fact that Nakamba will need a special clearance for him to feature for Villa this season because of the Warriors’ poor position on the FIFA rankings.
Another English Premiership side, Brighton and Hove, have found themselves in a similar position since they signed highly-rated Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau last season.
Brighton and Hove failed to get Tau a work permit to play in the Premier League last season, because of Bafana Bafana’s poor standings on the FIFA rankings, and loaned him to a Belgian second-tier side, Union St Gilloise, where he scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists.
Last month, Tau was moved to Belgian top-flight side, Club Brugge, for another season-long loan with Brighton and Hove hopeful that, next season, they could secure a work permit for him.
Nakamba’s case is a bit different in that, while the Warriors have a poor standing on the FIFA rankings, he has spent a number of years playing in top-flight leagues in the Netherlands and in Belgium.
He has also won silverware, in both countries, and has also featured in the UEFA Champions League, against quality opposition where he has done well, and all this will count in his favour when Villa, as is likely to be the case, appeal to get his work permit via a special dispensation.
Just, to put all this into context, Brighton and Hove have sent Tau to Club Brugge, because he can play in the Champions League and improve his chances of getting a work permit, and this is the very club that Nakamba is leaving in his pursuit for English Premiership football.
Nakamba has been watching from the sidelines while a number of players have sealed their deals to play in the English Premiership in the past week.
Egyptian international winger Trezeguet signed for Villa an £8.75m deal after leaving Turkish side Kasimpasa.
The other deals, in the past week, have seen Watford signing Tom Dele-Bashiru on a six-year deal, Joelinton joining Newcastle United, Jordan Ayew moving to Crystal Palace and Arsenal announcing the signing of midfielder Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid.
