Former APR Fc striker Jimmy Gatete has refuted recent reports that linked him with Israel first division club, Hapoel Ramat Gan Fc. Gatete who was among the axed 17 players by the 2006 Primus league champions said yesterday that no foreign club has contacted him about a move. Gatete further added that one year ago, an Israel national whom he preferred not be mentioned, working in Rwanda talked to him over a possible move to Israel but he never considered the deal seriously because he was happy where he was. “I met this man but we never went into deeper details of the transfer. That is why am still puzzled at the moment,” noted the Amavubi Stars striker. He added, “This man insisted on a move to Israel but I told him that I was still committed to APR and that was the end of the story. I never met him again only to hear about him in the recent media reports.” “I feel frustrated when I hear speculations linking me with that club yet the man who is in the country has not yet contacted me personally. “I have not talked to any official of that club and I am not aware of any move to Israel,” Gatete said. It has been reported that Gatete may pocket $100.000 (Frw5.4500.000) in the transfer deal with the Israel based club. However, sources at the national football governing body, Ferwafa who are also said to be involved in the deal, want APR involved in the deal. Both parties want a share of the transfer deal, a feat which left Gatete surprised. “I don’t think that both APR and Ferwafa can get any inclusion in any of my transfer deals at the moment, without even talking to me,” Gatete wondered. Gatete, 26 joined APR in late 2001 after failing tests with Belgium and Portuguese second division clubs and since he has been influential in the military side’s successful championship as well as Amavubi Stars qualification to 2004 Tunisia African Cup of nations. With a bunch of national and regional medals to his names, the soft spoken forward is yet to find a new club after surprisingly being released by the military side. With the transfer set to start officially mid this month, local rivals Rayon Sport and Atraco Fc are all reported to interested in him but none has manage to come up with an appealing deal. Ends
