Oumar Ngom was confirmed this Tuesday as Lecce’s new player, leaving 4 million euros in the coffers of Estrela da Amadora, who could still receive another 1.5 million in bonuses. In an interview with Channel 11’s ‘Futebol Total’ program, coach João Nuno admitted that he was sad to lose the 21-year-old Mauritanian midfielder in the middle of the season. An important player in the team’s maneuver and who he saw as his… Hjulmand, captain of Sporting.
“I say the same as when I spoke about Sidny. I’m sad to lose them, I have to be honest, because I want the best players and Oumar was a fundamental player. For those who don’t have as much knowledge, he was my Hjulmand, my ‘6’, clearly. Until now he was the player with the most ball recoveries in the 1st League, he was a very important player in our midfield, in the defensive part and in the balance he gave to the team”, began by mentioning the young tricolor coach, from 40 years.
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“When I arrived, I thought that Oumar fit my ideas a lot, because he can also give the ball some play, he can build and is very strong in what the team needed and needs, which is balance. I’m sad, but I already said this after Sidny’s departure: I’m happy to see them grow, especially because Estrela’s project is this too: valuing and enhancing players. In two transfers, we made more than 10 million euros and that’s very important for the club’s project”, he stressed.
Ngom only played 12 games for Estrela, most of them with João Nuno, who also predicted a good future for the midfielder… but not anytime soon. “I always believed that at the end of the season I would leave, but I wasn’t expecting, neither I nor the structure, for someone to reach these values now, nor for it to be possible to grow so quickly”, he admitted. “But I’m happy for him, because he can easily reach a big club. There are still things to improve, but Oumar’s physical abilities are incredible. Sometimes it seems like he’s omnipresent in midfield and that’s something innate,” he said.
