What’s going on with Cedric Bakambu? Beijing Guoan say they know nothing about reported Chinese Super League move

Capital city club deny knowledge of widely reported record deal for Villareal’s Congolese striker and that they heard he left Spain for ‘personal reasons’

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Villareal's Cedric Bakambu wins the ball ahead of Barcelona’s Thomas Vermaelen in their La Liga. Photo: EPA

Published: 3:29pm, 23 Jan 2018Updated: 5:05pm, 23 Jan 2018

Beijing Guoan are pleading ignorance over the protracted fate of Cedric Bakambu even after the striker declared he was China-bound in a reported €40 million (HK$383 million) deal.

In a statement, the Chinese Super League club declined to confirm Bakambu’s signing and said they had heard he left Spain’s Villarreal for “personal reasons”.

It raises major questions over whether the drawn-out move for the French-born Congolese hitman, who has hit nine La Liga goals this season, will now go ahead.

This month, the powerful Chinese Football Association warned clubs against any “loophole-exploiting behaviour” in trying to avoid its de facto 100 per cent tax on incoming foreign transfers.

Villarreal last week said Bakambu had left after he terminated his contract, and the 26-year-old declared in a video that he was going to “play in Beijing”.

It was widely reported in French and Spanish media that Bakambu was set to move to Beijing after the €40 million buyout clause in his contract was triggered.

But Guoan, who had previously stayed silent on the matter, said: “We recently received a fax from your office inquiring about Bakambu’s buy-out clause on his contract with Villarreal.

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What’s going on with Cedric Bakambu? Beijing Guoan say they know nothing about reported Chinese Super League move

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Capital city club deny knowledge of widely reported record deal for Villareal’s Congolese striker and that they heard he left Spain for ‘personal reasons’

Capital city club deny knowledge of widely reported record deal for Villareal’s Congolese striker and that they heard he left Spain for ‘personal reasons’