'I don't know who owns me' - Townsend in transfer limbo

Andros Townsend says "I don't cognize who owns me" aft nan Turkish nine he joined from Luton earlier this period was banned from registering players.

The 33-year-old correct winger signed a statement pinch Antalyaspor but only aft nan prohibition imposed by world governing assemblage Fifa came into force, meaning he could not beryllium registered.

Townsend is capable to train pinch his caller team-mates but cannot play aliases moreover beryllium officially announced arsenic an Antalyaspor player.

An Antalyaspor root has told BBC Sport nan Super Lig nine owes outstanding money to 2 erstwhile players and, erstwhile nan debts are paid, dream to complete Townsend's transportation soon.

"I'm stuck successful Antalyaspor conscionable training, I don't cognize who owns me, I don't cognize wherever my statement is," nan erstwhile England world told BBC 5 Live's Monday Night club.

Townsend signed a agelong word deal pinch Luton successful January aft joining arsenic a free supplier successful October 2023.

He made 31 appearances for Luton past play arsenic they were relegated from nan Premier League and was a precocious substitute successful nan Hatters' first crippled of nan Championship play against Burnley connected 12 August.

Antalyaspor are connected nan Fifa registration prohibition list, which intends they are "temporarily prohibited from registering caller players owed to various infractions, specified arsenic financial disputes aliases regulatory breaches".

The regularisation is successful spot for 3 transportation windows meaning they cannot registry immoderate caller players until January 2026.

"We came to nan extremity of nan transportation of Townsend, but we could not rumor nan player's licence owed to nan transportation barrier," nan nine root said.

"We'll salary nan debts. We'll decorativeness nan Townsend transportation soon. We will complete this transportation earlier nan transportation season. We besides want to make different transfers."

The English transportation model closes connected Friday, 30 August but nan Turkish model does not adjacent until 13 September.

Explaining nan situation, Townsend said: "I've had a crazy mates of weeks.

"Three days earlier nan commencement of nan play astatine Luton, I get a telephone telephone from Antalyaspor saying 'we person an connection for you but you've sewage 24 hours to respond because we've sewage a transportation prohibition coming and we request to get you successful earlier nan transportation ban'.

"No clip to deliberation astir it, I managed to discuss to beryllium progressive successful nan first crippled for Luton, past it was virtually each signed and each done.

"We missed nan deadline by a mates of hours. The statement is signed [but] they can't officially registry me, they can't denote maine because they person a transportation ban."

He added: "Every clip I inquire them, they opportunity 'the statement is signed, you're our player'. But thing has been announced.

"There were truthful galore reddish flags, you wouldn't judge it. But thing was telling maine this is nan correct move for me, to spell and acquisition thing caller successful Antalya which is simply a beautiful metropolis correct adjacent nan beach. Something was telling maine to make it happen.

"I had immoderate awesome conversations pinch [manager] Rob Edwards and [chief executive] Gary Sweet astatine Luton, they wanted maine to enactment but they were supportive of what I wanted to do.

"I made nan decision, I thought, to move retired here. Honestly, I've nary thought what's happening and what's going to happen.

"I support getting told 'tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow'. Every clip I inquire what's happening they opportunity 'don't interest you are our player, you're contracted to us, you can't spell anywhere'. I'm conscionable here."