Christian Atsu has yet to be found after last week’s earthquake in Turkey, according to his agent.
While two pairs of Atsu’s shoes were found in the rubble, the player himself remains missing as the search for him continues.
The Ghana international was declared missing following the 7.8 magnitude quake that hit Turkey and Syria last Monday, sparking concerns for his safety.
There have been conflicting reports about his rescue, but Atsu’s club, Hatayspor, have denied any claims that he has been pulled from the rubble.
In an update via Twitter, Atsu’s agent, Nana Sechere, confirmed that the search was still ongoing, but some of Atsu’s belongings had been located.
“It has been 9 days since the earthquake and we still have not located Christian. I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian’s family. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected,” he wrote.
“During my time here we have been able to locate Christian Atsu’s exact room location, and we have found two pairs of his shoes.
“Yesterday we received confirmation that thermal imagery was showing signs of up to 5 lives, however, I am told that the only real confirmation of life is through sight, smell and sound, and unfortunately we were not able to locate Christian.
“This is a difficult situation and we are extremely grateful to all the Turkish and foreign rescue teams, local civilians and volunteers for their efforts and response in rescuing survivors. However, we urgently need more resources, including a translator, on the ground.
“Things are moving incredibly slow and as a result of that many rescues are being delayed, and lives are being lost due to the lack of resources available to the workers. It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, side by side, in the search for Christian.
“Their position and influence, accompanied with their local knowledge would be extremely helpful. We implore the President of the club and mayor of Hatay, Lütfü Savaş to provide additional resources to speed up the rescue efforts as a priority.”
The former Newcastle United and Chelsea man moved to Turkey last September and scored his first goal for Hatayspor just hours before the devastating earthquake. To date, the disaster has claimed the lives of over 35,000 individuals.
