Clermont Foot coach Pascal Gastien has revealed Ghanaian midfielder Salis Abdul Samed had no desire to stay at the club.
The 22-year-old completed transfer from Clermont to fellow Ligue 1 side RC Lens in June.
According to Gastien, Samed clearly wanted to leave, despite having three years left on his contract, assuring everyone that his departure would be beneficial to everyone.
“Abdul Samed didn’t want to stay. The club was ready to make an effort, but he decided to leave. As soon as the club got a decent offer, it was over. But if he doesn’t “Had there been no correct offer, he would have stayed. That’s what happened for Mohamed Bayo”, said Gastien.
The defensive midfielder joined Lens on a five-year deal worth around €5 million plus add-ons.
Samed was outstanding last season, helping then newly-promoted Clermont retain Ligue 1 status last season, appearing in 31 games and scoring two goals.
Clermont have also negotiated a sell-on clause for the player, who was one of the top five players in Ligue 1 last season in terms of pass completion rate.
The 22-year-old is an ideal reinforcement for Lens, who aim to better last season’s seventh finish in Ligue 1, in the upcoming season.
He was included in Ghana’s preliminary 2021 Africa Cup of Nation squad but missed out on the final list due to injury.
