Andros Townsend says 'I don't know who owns me' as 'crazy' transfer situation leaves him 'stuck'
The 33-year-old still doesn't know which club he is contracted to.
He may have 'completed' a transfer to Turkey this summer but Andros Townsend has admitted to not knowing which club he is contracted to.
The 33-year-old former Crystal Palace and Everton winger made 31 appearances in all competitions for Luton Town last season as they suffered relegation from the Premier League.
He admitted to "having fun" on the pitch after signing a short-term deal with the Hatters but this summer, he decided to leave Kenilworth Road for a new challenge in Turkey.
Townsend penned a contract with Super Lig side Antalyaspor, although a transfer ban has scuppered the move as he can't be officially registered due to the club's transfer ban.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Townsend opened up on his current situation. "I’ve had a crazy couple of weeks," he began.
"Three days before the start of the season at Luton, I get a phone call from Antalyaspor, saying ‘we have an offer for you but you’ve got 24 hours to respond because we’ve got a transfer ban coming and we need to get you in before the transfer ban’.
“So, no time to think about it. I managed to negotiate to be involved in the first game for Luton, played ten minutes in that and then it was literally all signed, all done. Then we missed the deadline by a couple of hours.
“So the contract is signed with Antalyaspor. They can’t officially register me, they can’t announce me, because they have a transfer ban, so I’m literally just stuck in Antalyaspor, just training."
He added: “I don't know who owns me. I don’t know where my contact is, so yeah, that’s me. I can’t play, they can’t register me, they can’t officially announce me because they’ve got a transfer ban, similar to what Barcelona have, at times.
“I think they’ve got a dispute with just one player who’s taking them to court, so until that’s settled, they can’t bring in any new players. But every time I ask them, they say, ‘the contract is signed, you’re our player.’
“But nothing’s been announced. I can’t play. I’m literally in a hotel at the training ground just training and keeping my head down.”
Townsend still has time to be registered as an Antalyaspor player, with the Turkish window closing on September 13. England's top flight window, meanwhile, closes on Friday.
Topics: Luton Town, Premier League, Turkey
Jack Kenmare