Leeds United meet £6million Ilias Chair asking price for late QPR transfer ahead of Leicester City
Ilias Chair “is staying at QPR” despite Leeds United being ready to pay his £6million asking price, according to Darren Witcoop.
The Reach PLC journalist reported via Twitter late on deadline day (1 September) the Moroccan midfielder won’t be moving because his side “stuck to their guns” when they couldn’t find a replacement, with the Whites prepared to pay up to beat Leicester City to his signing.
The interested from Elland Road only “emerged late” but apparently hasn’t been enough to secure an 11th hour deal.
Leeds United have already signed Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev late in the window to bolster their midfield on top of Ethan Ampadu earlier in the summer, but Chair won’t be joining.
Disappointed
The 25-year-old could have been a more forward-thinking signing than the aforementioned trio, with the number 10 role potentially one of the areas that Daniel Farke’s squad has been left slightly short.
Big-money arrival from Swansea Joel Piroe was used in that position in his debut at Ipswich, where he and all three attacking teammates scored in a morale-boosting 4-3 win.
But it looks like the manager wanted a more specialist option, especially having been through the tribulations of unsuccessfully trying to bring in Nadiem Amiri.
Chair would have been a highly experienced Championship option having made 177 appearances in the second tier, including a minimum of 39 appearances in each of the past four campaigns at Loftus Road.
Having had major interest in Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer earlier in the window before his move to Sheffield United it is perhaps no surprise that Chair emerged as a late, late alternative.
A record of 26 goals and 24 assists in the Championship from midfield in the past four seasons would have made him a potentially productive addition, but unless there is a major about-turn before 11pm the Whites have missed out.
In other Leeds United news, a potential late deal to bring Charlie Taylor back to the club has been talked up by a journalist.