Fenerbahce were chasing Ryan Kent for six months before the deal was announced according to president Ali Koc.
The winger left Rangers under freedom of contract last month and was swiftly announced as Fenerbahce's latest big name signing. He'd been linked in May but Michael Beale said he didn't think there was any truth in the rumours which cooled the speculation down. Kent himself though has since admitted he wanted to join Fenerbahce from the first day they expressed interest. And club president Koc now reveals that was long before Beale appeared to shoot it down.
He told Turkish media signing Kent was a long running saga and is delighted to see him finally arrive alongside veteran striker Edin Dzeko and keeper Can Egribayat. And he's confident his new additions will help them win the Super Lig title next season.
He said: "We had three transfers. We have been trying for Irfan Can Egribayat, Edin Dzeko for a long time. We have been trying for Ryan Kent for six months.
"Apart from that, we presented a list to our coach. There are names added by the coach. We will start working in the coming weeks. Tournaments will start, we are in a hurry. It's the first days of transfer in Europe. Everyone is a tough seller. I have no doubt that we will be champions."
Speaking after signing for Fenerbahce, former Liverpool winger Kent said: "As soon as I heard about Fenerbahce's interest I felt happy and I wanted this transfer to happen as quickly as possible. I look forward to being on the pitch for the new season. I know this club has had a lot of great players and I want to be one of them."
