Ernest Nuamah: Player left 'in tears' during cancelled deadline day transfer to Fulham

Ernest Nuamah was due to join Fulham on the final day of the summer transfer window on August 30. However, it did not quite work out in the way that the Cottagers would have hoped.

Nuamah felt like he was being pushed out by his club, Lyon, according to a report from French outlet L’Equipe. He had no desire to leave the club - something that came to a head when it was time for his medical at Fulham.

During his medical at Craven Cottage, Nuamah broke down into ‘floods of tears’. While he completed a portion of the medical, later in the day, he allegedly left the scene and could not be found. He would not answer his phone for anyone who called him, including his agent. The value of the deal was thought to be in the region of £16 million.

What exactly happened is unknown, though it is believed that Nuamah fled the scene of his medical when it was approaching its final stages - he was also said to have been crying consistently throughout the day.

As such, the move collapsed - Nuamah may have taken matters into his own hands to prevent the transfer from becoming official. John Textor, Lyon’s owner, wrote a letter of apology to Fulham afterwards. As such, Nuamah is still a Lyon player, though he has not played for the club since this incident took place on deadline day. Despite this, he did play in their first two games of the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season, against Rennes and Monaco.

Last season, the 20 year old made 33 appearances in all competitions for Lyon, scoring three goals and notching up a total of two assists along the way. A Ghanian international, he has won 12 caps for his country and has scored three goals.