AEK Athens Withdraws Offer for Kings Kangwa After Hapoel Be'er Sheva Refuses Transfer

AEK Athens has decided to withdraw its bid to sign Zambian midfielder Kings Kangwa from Hapoel Be'er Sheva, according to a dramatic report by Greek outlet Sport 24 on Tuesday evening. The key reason was Hapoel Be'er Sheva's announcement that Kangwa would participate in their UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Vikingur at 22:00 that night. Despite pressure from both Kangwa and AEK to complete the transfer before the game, the Israeli club insisted the player would remain available for the fixture.

The report states that there was no financial disagreement between the clubs, as AEK's offer met Hapoel Be'er Sheva's demands. However, the main obstacle was the Israeli club's desire for Kangwa to play in both legs against the Icelandic champions. Allowing the transfer would have prevented AEK from registering him for the playoff matches in the competition.

In recent days, multiple attempts were made to find a compromise, with Kangwa himself pushing Hapoel Be'er Sheva's management to approve the move. Ultimately, the club stood firm, officially informing AEK that despite potential financial losses, since no comparable offers had been received and AEK's was the best, they would not change their decision. Consequently, AEK withdrew their offer and began exploring other candidates.