Leeds United ‘deactivate’ deal to sign Barcelona starlet Ilias Akhomach with Arsenal transfer now on the cards
Leeds United have decided to “deactivate” the deal to sign Barcelona youngster Ilias Akhomach this summer, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional.
The Whites have long been linked with a move for the 18-year-old winger, with reports in Spain suggesting that a deal was to be completed before the end of March.
And reports from LUFCFANZONE (16 March) and Spanish outlet Sport (17 March) suggested he was close to becoming a Whites player.
But with circumstances changing at Elland Road, with sporting director Victor Orta – who was pushing for the transfer – immediately departing the Whites on Tuesday [2 March], the Akhomach deal now looks dead in the water, with an Arsenal transfer now on the cards..
“Since staying in Barcelona was complicated, the choice was to go to Leeds United, who had taken an interest in him. The Premier League club offered him minutes in the top flight of English football and a plan of increasing importance.
“However, Leeds United have reconsidered the signing and deactivated it.
“Leeds, Raphinha’s former team, are in a complicated situation at a sporting level as they are fighting not to be relegated.
“In addition, the dismissals of Víctor Orta and Javi Gracia, who were the sports director and the coach of the English club respectively, have caused this change of plans. And that’s why Ilias is at this point of uncertainty about his future”, the report reveals [3 March].
Understandable
Now former Leeds director of football Victor Orta was certainly been the figure driving to get the Akhomach deal over the line and it’s totally understandable that the Spaniard will have confirmed the Whites’ interest in the Barca wonderkid.
However, given the circumstances Leeds United are currently engrossed in right now, the decision to deactivate the deal is no surprise and the right one moving forward.
The club have so much to focus on right now with their Premier League safety high on the agenda after Sam Allardyce’s appointment as Javi Gracia’s replacement.
And given it was Orta the one driving the deal, now that he’s gone, the Whites simply have no use continuing in their efforts to sign the Barcelona youngster.
Akhomach is a bright young footballer, with the potential to become a future world-beater but Leeds United are certainly not short of players with those ceilings in Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville also possessing similar potential ceiling as the Spaniard.
In other Leeds news, Phil Hay has named three more figures set to follow Orta and Gracia out of Elland Road as the exodus continues.