KUALA LUMPUR: Talks of former Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) player Muhammad Safawi Rasid returning to the Southern Tigers have been gaining momentum after club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim touched on the matter.
Tunku Ismail, in a meeting with Sportswriters Association Malaysia (SAM) executive council members yesterday, said Safawi, who is on loan to Ratchaburi Football Club in Thailand’s League 1 for a season, is rumoured to be “uncomfortable” playing there.
“I have spoken to him and I think he is not comfortable there (Rachaburi). We will see how it develops because it was not me who sent him there, he was the one who wanted to go and we gave him our cooperation.
“There is no word yet as to whether he wants to return but we know he is not comfortable there and there are rumours that he wants to come back here, if possible,” said Tunku Ismail through an audio recording which SAM shared with the media today.
However, Tunku Ismail, who is also the Tunku Mahkota of Johor (TMJ), reiterated that JDT have yet to officially communicate with Safawi regarding his decision to return to the Malaysia League (M-League).
“We’ll see first, I have not made any decision and I have not contacted him directly either,” said Tunku Ismail.
Safawi, who joined JDT from Terengganu FC ll in January 2017 and had previously been sent out on loan to Primera Liga side Portimonense SC in Portugal for three months at the end of 2021, joined Ratchaburi last December. – Bernama