Boateng's move to Sporting collapses over image rights

Kevin-Prince Boateng

Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon failed to sign midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng after the two sides failed to reach agreement on the player’s image rights.

The Ghana international arrived in Lisbon on Tuesday for talks with the Portuguese club after being released by German club Schalke in May.

But Sporting announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday that negotiations were over.

“After negotiations with Kevin-Prince Boateng, it was not possible to reach an agreement relating to his image rights,” Sporting said in the statement.

A few hours earlier, Portuguese media reported that the deal had hit a stumbling block because Boateng had failed a medical.

The 28-year-old, who was born in Germany and has spent the last two seasons at Schalke 04, had appeared set to sign a two-year contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, according to local press reports.

The former Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth and AC Milan forward was suspended indefinitely by Schalke in May after the Gelsenkirchen club’s Bundesliga defeat to Cologne.

Schalke signed Boateng from AC Milan in 2013, and he still had another season on his contract.

However, he disappointed at Schalke, where there were hopes he could develop into a team leader.