Turkey-based agent Görkem Demir has revealed how he played a key role in helping Ghana international Jesurun Rak-Sakyi complete his move to Kasımpaşa, Footy-Africa can exclusively report.
Rak-Sakyi joined the Turkish Süper Lig club on a season-long loan from Crystal Palace after a late push from Kasımpaşa to secure his signature before the Turkish transfer window closed.
The 23-year-old will remain in Turkey until the end of the season, with the agreement not including an option for Kasımpaşa to make his transfer permanent.
Demir, who facilitated the move, says negotiations were far from straightforward and required almost two weeks of persistent work before all parties reached an agreement.
“We put in a lot of effort for this transfer. We worked on this transfer for 15 days. It was difficult, but we succeeded,” Demir told Footy-Africa.
“Kasımpaşa also worked very hard for this transfer. The biggest factor in Rak-Sakyi’s transfer to Kasımpaşa was my unwavering determination. We insisted a lot on this transfer.”
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Demir also revealed that convincing Rak-Sakyi’s family to approve the move to Istanbul was one of the biggest challenges during the negotiations.
“We constantly told his family about Istanbul. We sent them videos,” he added. “It was really hard to convince the family. But they are very happy now.”
Kasımpaşa eventually won the race for the Ghanaian despite competition from other Turkish clubs.
Çorumspor, Rizespor and Amedspor had all expressed interest in Rak-Sakyi, but Kasımpaşa pushed hardest to complete the deal.
The Istanbul-based club will pay a €400,000 loan fee for the Ghana international, who is expected to play an important role during his season in Turkey.
Rak-Sakyi’s move to Kasımpaşa came after a dramatic few days in the transfer market. He had been close to joining Charlton Athletic in a permanent deal worth £4 million shortly before the English transfer deadline on 1 September, but that move did not materialise.
With his future still unresolved, Kasımpaşa stepped up their efforts and eventually reached an agreement with Crystal Palace.
Rak-Sakyi already has experience of Turkish football, having spent the first half of last season on loan at Çaykur Rizespor. He scored four goals in 13 appearances before returning to England for the second half of the campaign.
He subsequently joined Stoke City on loan, scoring three goals in 16 appearances for the Potters.
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His return to Turkey now gives him another opportunity to establish himself in the Süper Lig, with Kasımpaşa hoping the Ghanaian can build on his previous experience in the country and make a significant contribution to their campaign.
