Ezenwere Did Not Instruct NFF To Issue Iheanacho's ITC To Man City
Taye Academy Vows Not To Authorize Release Of Kelechi Iheanacho’s ITC Until Manchester City Liquidate Debt
The proprietor of Taye Academy, Kennedy Ezenwere, has insisted that he did not instruct the Nigeria Football Federation to issue the International Transfer Certificate of Kelechi Iheanacho to Manchester City.
Ezenwere has claimed that the Citizens and agent Henry Galeano short - changed him on the fee paid for acquiring the Nigeria youth international from his nursery team based in Owerri.
It is interesting to note that the parties had struck a deal for Kelechi Iheanacho to join the EPL champions after settling for a price tag of £350,000 (equivalent of $529,305).
But Taye Academy supremo says Manchester City are yet to remit $192,305 to his bank account, and he has pointed out that the club reneged on an earlier agreement after they paid him in dollars instead of pounds.
''Manchester City have more than ten percent of the total transfer fee. I only have problems with Kelechi's agent, Henry Galeano, and not Solomon, who works with Galeano in Nigeria,'' said Kennedy Ezenwere to SL10.ng.
''They are owing me more than =N=30 million. Solomon is not involved, he has been advising me well.”
''When they requested for Kelechi's ITC, the Nigeria Football Federation called me to find out how much was paid by Man City.”
''I told them that Man City paid me 337,000 dollars instead of 350,000 pounds, the gap is a lot.”
''Kelechi called me last Tuesday to alert the NFF to issue his ITC. I have to write the NFF that everything is okay before it is released.''
Despite the pronouncement of Kennedy Ezenwere, everything indicates that the 18 year old's ITC is already in England, with the Nigeria Football Federation disassociating itself from the ongoing dispute between Man City, Galeano and Taye Academy.
An impeccable source in the NFF told SL10.ng : ''No club can stop the Nigeria Football Federation from issuing an ITC except there was no contract signed. The boy is already in England, so you know the (true) story now.''
Prior to agreeing terms with Manchester City, the Golden Ball winner at the 2013 Fifa Under 17s had been on the radar of Udinese, Monaco, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and PAOK.