Alhaji Grusah ‘behind’ my failed move to Arsenal – Emotional Shilla Illiasu reveals

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Former Ghana international, Shilla Illiasu Alhassan, has revealed Alhaji Grusah collapsed his move to English Premier League side, Arsenal.

The former centre-back was handed a trial by then Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger after impressing at the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.

Illiasu was then a player in the Ghana Premier League with Asante Kotoko and received rave reviews for meeting expectations at the highest level.

However, he ended up signing for FC Saturn where injuries denied him the opportunity of realizing his dream abroad.

But in an interview with Asempa FM on the Sports Nite Programme shared that his former employer, Alhaji Grusah collapsed his move to the Premier League side claiming he was his ‘ bonafide property’.

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“Arsene Wenger told me that he had monitored me against the Czech Republic at the World Cup and believes that I’m one of the best defenders in Africa. He told me he wanted to sign me to Arsenal to help his team.

“I started training with them and after the third training session, the agent called and confirmed Wenger was impressed and wanted to sign me.

“Later, the agent called and requested that I speak with Alhaji Grunsah because he was being stubborn and that I should also engage Kotoko, Kwabena Kesse (Kessben) was then the CEO.

“I remember I spoke to him and Mr Kesse told me they were still in talks with Arsenal and assured me my future remained the central focus.

Despite these initial positive signs, the move never happened and Shilla Illiasu says he later uncovered that a letter Alhaji Grunsah penned to Arsenal might be the major reason the English club pulled the plugs on the deal

“It was later that I realised that Alhaji was the biggest problem. He personally wrote a letter to Arsenal telling them that I was his bonafide property.

“So the agent asked what is Alhaji saying. The agent asked me that can’t you talk to Alhaji because he is trying to bring problem.

“Because Alhaji wrote to Arsenal that I was his bonafide property and that time too I was a Kotoko player.

“What I know is that Alhaji had a percentage, my transfer from King Faisal to Kotoko wasn’t an outright deal so Alhaji had a percentage (stake) in me.

“So when the Arsenal deal was to go through, Kotoko was trying to tell Alhaji he was getting close to nothing from the deal and Alhaji also did his things,” he narrated.

Illiasu says he his heart weeps at how the move never happened and called it one of the biggest regrets in his playing career.

“So these are some of the things I feel sad to remember. It’s not easy, I remember shedding tears over this in a radio interview sometime back”, he added.