Oday Dabbagh will be a Charleroi player next summer, but the story behind his signing for the Belgian side isn’t one of the nicest stories from this year’s January transfer deadline day.
Destination: 🇧🇪
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) February 1, 2023
🇵🇸International striker Oday Dabbagh moved from Arouca to @SportCharleroi. Had an excellent start to the season in Portugal and will try to do the same in Belgium. @Levyninho saw his talent as a kid in Jerusalem and wrote about ithttps://t.co/3CHCTFmf8d pic.twitter.com/vn43hRNveJ
Why?
Dabbagh is playing for Portuguese side Arouca, having the best season of his career.
He has, so far, scored ten goals in 17 matches this season, and multiple clubs took an interest in the Palestinian.
His contract expires at the end of the season and, allegedly, Arouca tried to force him to renew it.
How?
Against Sporting in the League Cup a week ago, Dabbagh scored, was one of the best players on the pitch and was substituted.
He was left out of the squad for Arouca’s game against Benfica, which took place on deadline day.
For the outsider, it may seem that the club is trying to force the player to renew his contract via the old ‘you won’t renew, you won't play’ method.
Eyewitnesses have reported that he was even physically prevented from entering the stadium to watch the game.
To repeat, the club’s best player, and one of the main reasons they’re currently seventh in the league and beaten semi-finalists of the League Cup, wasn’t allowed in the stadium.
At the same time, the club reportedly demanded exaggerated sums for Dabbagh from Charleroi, who wanted to snap him up this window.
Finally, a deal was signed, but only for the summer, and now it is unclear how the rest of his season, his best so far, will unfold.
This story comes as a good reminder of what’s going on behind the scenes in the flashy and shiny football transfer market.
While everyone speaks about the big name moves - Enzo Fernandez and such - remember there are thousands of deadline-day stories like Dabbagh’s.
Stories of clubs ‘playing dirty’ and preventing them from progressing and fulfilling their dreams.
Edited by Alex Smith
🇵🇸Oday Dabbagh continues with his excellent form, temporary equalized for Arouca against Sporting SC in the 🇵🇹 League Cup semi-final, but in the end it was Sporting who won 2-1 and advanced to the finalpic.twitter.com/R7iL1kcF2m
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) January 24, 2023
