Sporting Lisbon's international relations director has rubbished claims by his Portuguese club insisting that they refused to sign Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng because he failed a mandatory medical test.
Augusto Inacio says the Portuguese giants opted not to sign the Schalke star because he failed a knee test, contrary to the earlier claims by Sporting Lisbon.
His comments has also been backed by Sporting Lisbon's coach Jorge Jesus who also says the Ghanaian failed the medical test.
Inacio's comments come after Sporting released a statement on Wednesday saying they had pulled out of the deal following a disagreement about the 28-year-old Boateng's image rights.
However the Portuguese club's director of international relations revealed on Friday.
"Boateng was here in Lisbon. He underwent medical tests and failed because of a knee problem," Augusto Inacio told SIC Noticias.
"He had an operation on his knee at the age of 16 and he has been having problems for the last two or three years."
Sporting coach Jorge Jesus indicated on Thursday that a failed medical was the real reason for the deal falling through.
"The quality of the player is not in question," he said, adding that the club's medical staff "judged that other factors were important".
Boateng had appeared set to sign a two-year contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
The former Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth and AC Milan forward was suspended indefinitely by Schalke 04 in May after the Gelsenkirchen club's Bundesliga defeat to Cologne.