An extraordinary L’Equipe story has lifted the lid on a dramatic deadline day at Fulham as Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah ran away from Motspur Park in order to successfully scuttle his proposed move to the Premier League.

The Ligue 1 side were desperate to raise funds in the closing hours of the transfer window and the Whites, seeking to sign a winger to supplement Marco Silva’s squad, agreed a £16m. The 20 year-old, however, didn’t want to leave L’OM and, although he reluctantly accepted Fulham’s proposals, he was in ‘tears’ during the first part of his medical in London and then ‘fled and vanished, failing to turn up for the final stages’.

Nuamah’s disappearing act was so successful that his agent was unable to locate him.