Besiktas boss: We had to sell Fabri

The Black Eagles’ president has revealed why the club decided to sell the 30-year-old keeper.

Besiktas president Fikret Orman has lifted the lid on Fabri’s transfer to Fulham – revealing the Turkish club had to sell the keeper or risk losing him for nothing next summer.

At 30, the Spaniard is an anomaly in Fulham’s recruitment, being two years over the 28 age cap that their owner Shahid Khan usually sets on players unless they can add immediate value to the side – something their recruitment department sees Fabri doing.

Fulham paid €6million for Fabri’s services as he entered his last year at Besiktas, despite the Black Eagles wanting nearer €8m, and club president Orman has told Turkish media outlet CNN Turk that they had to sell or risked losing him for nothing in 12 months.

He said: “Fabri had a year left on his contract so we needed to send the player to the Premier League or we’d have come out empty next summer.”

Besiktas signed the 30-year-old for free two seasons ago when he left Deportivo La Coruna for the second time.