By Sulayman Bah
Forward Bubacarr Trawally has come on the receiving end of severe scolding from his own relegated Chinese club who accuse the Gambian of breaching his contract, Foroyaa Sport can report.
Given the sobriquet Steve by fans in Bundung, Trawally was expected to join his club for pre-season in the side’s preparation to begin life back in the second tier after two years in the highest division.
Yanbian Funde got relegated from the Chinese Super League (CSL) having finished second from bottom last season.
According to the club, the striker is the least receptive to idea of playing second division football, accusing him of making illegal moves in a bid to entice bigger clubs to sign him away.
Players close to the end of their contracts are allowed liberty to talk to potential suitors. This though hinges on how relevant they’re to the plans of their current teams.
In Steve’s case, it’s unclear whether such a clause was installed at the time of his lucrative contract renewal last year this time.
The 23-yer-old’s current deal elapses at end of this year.
Photo: The Gambian scored 18 times last year
And in a show of defiance, Yanbian have taken a stern measure to report the matter to the Chinese FA as well to FIFA , alerting the respective institutions about illegal approaches being made on their player by both foreign and domestic clubs.
In a statement issued in Chinese over the weekend, Yanbian accused the Scorpion of making up excuses in efforts to force a transfer out of the club, a campaign of which, the Chinese team alleged, began October last year.
Foroyaa Sport has sought Steve’s reaction to the allegations but he did not reply until at the time of press.
This is the first time the winger is being mired in a web of controversy since turning professional in the summer of 2015.
Capable also featuring as an attacking midfielder, Bubacarr struck the net eighteen (18) times, finishing as the highest scoring African in the CSL –his biggest goal-feat in a league season.
Yanbian’s rise to the CSL is greatly credited to the Gambia international after he scored on seventeen occasions to win them the second tier league title in 2015.
Funde are adamant of keeping the player in the hope to get him firing from all cylinders in desperate efforts to mount a successful return to the Super League.
Clubs clamouring for the striker’s services must at least meet Yanbian’s £1.26M valuation of the Bundung-born footballer.
