The summer transfer window concluded at midnight on September 2, and in its final hours, there were notable moves, including Josuha Guilavogui leaving Saint-Etienne to join Atlético Madrid. The French international of Guinean origin secured a five-year contract with the Spanish club, a transfer that surprised many.
According to Roland Romeyer, the president of the board of directors of ASSE, the decision to sell Guilavogui to Atlético was influenced by the failed transfer of Algerian player Fouazi Ghoulam to Torino. Romeyer explained, “The departure of Guilavogui would not have been necessary if Ghoulam had left. Even if, at the price offered by Atletico, I might still have sold him. The Ghoulam affair disrupted us both sportingly and economically.”
Romeyer continued, stating, “Faouzi was part of the squad that Christophe Galtier wanted to keep. One day, Samir Ghoulam came to see me to tell me that his brother wanted to leave. He was not happy with Faouzi’s quiet season. He asked me to receive the leaders of Torino. We agreed on everything but we never received the bank guarantees. It took a long time. And Faouzi never left,” revealing the behind-the-scenes challenges that influenced the transfer decisions at Saint-Etienne.
