Top officials have informed SCORENigeria that Inter Milan and some representatives of midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro were “far from co-operative” during talks for the Serie A club to release the player to the Flying Eagles.
Inter had initially communicated to the NFF that the former Remo Stars ace will only be released for the U20 World Cup in Argentina on May 13, which would be just a week to the team’s opening group game against the Dominican Republic.
The football federation then pressed for an earlier release date, but in the process talks degenerated with a source even accusing a representative of the player of being arrogant.
“Everything on our part was done to secure the release of the boy (Akinsanmiro,” a team official told SCORENigeria
“But unfortunately we did not get the co-operation of his club and his handlers even after it was agreed for him to join us in Argentina.”
It was further gathered that this was in sharp contrast to how rivals AC Milan handled the release issue concerning Victor Eletu, who will now join the rest of the squad in Argentina.
Akinsanmiro, who cost Inter a Million Dollars in January, was widely seen as the man to bring a much-needed creativity to the Flying Eagles midfield.
The team have to again count on Samson Lawal to do that in the engine room after he fell short at the U20 AFCON in Egypt in March.
