Luton’s Andros Townsend FINALLY completes his move to Antalyaspor after Turkish transfer ban is lifted… as the winger’s nightmare month in limbo comes to an end

Andros Townsend has finally completed his move to Antalyaspor from Luton Town after the embargo on the Turkish club’s transfer registration was lifted. 

Townsend signed a contract with Antalyaspor in August but the Turkish club couldn’t register the 33-year-old because of a transfer ban imposed by FIFA.  

As a result of the ban, Antalyaspor could not announce the signing of Townsend and he could not play for them, but he was allowed to train with the squad. 

However, the lifting of the Turkish club’s registration embargo has meant Antalyaspor and Townsend can finally confirm the move.  

Townsend took to social media to write: ‘A new chapter….. can’t wait to get started’. While Antalyaspor wrote: ‘Mission Completed’ after the initial announcement. 

Both the Turkish club and Townsend confirmed the news of their social media platforms

Townsend – who joined Luton as a free agent in October 2023 and made 32 appearances last season, scoring once – will be glad to see the deal finalised.  

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about the Turkish club’s registration embargo in August, Townsend said: ‘I’ve had a crazy couple of weeks. 

‘Three days before the start of the season at Luton, I get a phone call from Antalyaspor, saying ‘we have an offer for you but you’ve got 24 hours to respond because we’ve got a transfer ban coming and we need to get you in before the transfer ban’.

‘So, no time to think about it. I managed to negotiate to be involved in the first game for Luton, played ten minutes in that and then it was literally all signed, all done. Then we missed the deadline by a couple of hours.

‘So the contract is signed with Antalyaspor. They can’t officially register me, they can’t announce me, because they have a transfer ban, so I’m literally just stuck in Antalyaspor, just training.

‘I don’t know who owns me. I don’t know where my contact is, so yeah, that’s me. I can’t play, they can’t register me, they can’t officially announce me because they’ve got a transfer ban, similar to what Barcelona have, at times.

Townsend joined Antalyaspor from Luton earlier in August but the Turkish club couldn’t register him before due to the ban

‘I think they’ve got a dispute with just one player who’s taking them to court, so until that’s settled, they can’t bring in any new players. But every time I ask them, they say, ‘the contract is signed, you’re our player.’

‘But nothing’s been announced. I can’t play. I’m literally in a hotel at the training ground just training and keeping my head down.’

Townsend, 33, started out at Tottenham, for whom he played 93 times, and also had nine loan spells prior to joining Newcastle in 2016.

Townsend also played for Crystal Palace and Everton prior to signing for Luton. He scored three goals in 13 games for England between 2013 and 2016.