‘A surprise’: Boss can’t believe £10m man didn’t leave after West Ham talks

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Hungary coach Marco Rossi admits he was surprised to see Attila Szalai stay at Fenerbahce after being linked with Premier League clubs West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, speaking via Sporx. 

Last summer, Kim Min-Jae swapped the Turkish giants for Napoli.  

And, alongside Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, the South Korean centre-back has been one of the revelations of the season so far, stepping effortlessly into Kalidou Koulibaly’s shoes at a side cruising at the top of Serie A and gleaming in the Champions League. 

Szalai will certainly hope to emulate his former team-mate’s success when the time comes for him to fly the Fenerbahce nest too. 

When will Attila Szalai leave Turkish football?

According to The Express, West Ham held talks with the £10 million-rated Szalai in August. The Budapest-born 24-year-old has also been linked with, among others Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. 

And Rossi, who once tipped Szalai to join Leeds United, admits he did not expect to see the Hungary international to still be plying his trade in Istanbul at this stage of his career. 

“I don’t know how this process developed. It’s probably a decision taken with the club,” Rossi says. “It was written in the newspapers that he would go to one of the (big European) leagues. Such as Spain, England or Germany.  

“Honestly, I thought he’d move to one of them. It’s a bit of a surprise to me that he doesn’t leave. But that’s okay. Attila plays in the first XI at a big club. (He is) an important player for the team. Fenerbahce is a team that dominates Turkish football.” 

There are some concerns about Szalai’s passing range, some suggesting he lacks the technical ability to take his game to an all-new level in an elite competition. Rossi, however, insists that Szalai is making improvements with regards to his on-the-ball ability. 

“He is still at an average level in this regard. But he is improving,” adds the former Spezia coach. “He should work on it. He just needs to better timing and to make choices.

“Attila has a great character. I expect him to be one of Hungary’s leaders. He is always on the field because he can consistently deliver the same performance.”