Sulley Muntari: Hearts of Oak chief reveals conditions for Ghana star's acquisition 

Hearts of Oak chief executive officer Frederick Moore has hinted that wage demands remain a factor currently hindering the Ghanaian giants' hopes of signing Ghana international Sulley Muntari.

The former AC and Inter Milan midfielder has been linked to the Phobians on the back of training spells with the 19-time Ghana Premier League champions in recent times.

He has been without a club since leaving Spanish lower tier outfit Albacete last year.

“Sulley Muntari is a very good player and if he is available and affordable we will be interested to sign him," Moore told Happy FM.

Muntari, who featured for Liberty Professionals before leaving Ghana for Italian Serie A side Udinese in 2001, first trained with Hearts in 2018 before making another return this year.

In April, he was rumoured to have agreed on a two-year deal with the Phobians, a report which was promptly rubbished by the club.

“For the past two years, Hearts of Oak have been telling Sulley Ali Muntari that we’ve reserved a jersey for him," Hearts board member Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, also a former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), told Angel FM. "Anytime he’s ready to play, he knows what to do."

Hearts fans were recently left disappointed when the 36-year-old professed love for arch-rivals Asante Kotoko despite stating an openness to join the Phobians.

“I love Kotoko. They tried signing me when l was a young player in Kumasi," Muntari said in an Instagram Live chat with his fans. “I would love to retire with them, but l would not rule out Hearts, RTU [Real Tamale United], King Faisal or Liberty Professionals.”

Earlier, the 2010 Uefa Champions League winner had expressed interest in a move to South Africa.

“I spoke to an agent. He gave me a call. I have forgotten his name. Sipho...I don’t know how to pronounce his name,” Muntari told Metro FM. “I would love to come and play in South Africa because they have great teams that I like. For instance, [Mamelodi] Sundowns are there, [Orlando] Pirates are there but my favourite one are [Kaizer] Chiefs.

"I don’t know why but I have been following Chiefs for a moment now, I love the way they are and everything," he added. “So I said if I am going to South Africa, there is the only team I want to play for, that is Chiefs.

"With all due respect to Pirates and Sundowns and the other teams that are in the South African league of course this is what I prefer, so that’s the only plan, that’s what I spoke [about] with the agent.

“That’s it and I haven’t said anything more, but why not? It’s home, Ghana is home, South Africa can be home, any part in Africa can be home. It would be good to come [to South Africa] but I haven’t made my mind as yet.”

Muntari has also played for English side Portsmouth, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2008, Sunderland, Italians Pescara, Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna and Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad.