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Otavio agent speaks out as Leeds United lead race to sign him
Israel Oliveira, the agent of FC Porto attacking midfielder has gone on the record to state that the Leeds United target is not for sale.
Speaking to Portuguese media outlet A Bola (July 14, page 44), Oliviera reiterated the fact that there’s confusion over his client’s future and that he’s not leaving.
The Record reported on 12 July (printed edition, page 16) that Leeds were indeed leading the race to secure the 27-year-old’s services.
O Jogo reported on June 22 that the Portugual international has a release clause of £33million valid until July 15.
Speaking about his future, his agent said, “I don’t know why there’s so much confusion. I don’t know why they talk so much about clauses, when you know that 99 per cent of them are negotiable.”
“Otavio has an amendment, yes, and once a year the clause drops to €40million. Is that being on sale? Otavio is not on sale, he is not for sale and the president does not want to transfer him.
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“They said I was in London negotiating, they said so many things and I didn’t take a single step to negotiate, because he was never for sale.”
Move on
The agent will never come out and say that a player is not for sale if he actually is.
This just seems to be narratives driven by the media in order to unsettle the player and it does not seem that Leeds are even keen on him.
All of their interest is coming from the Portuguese media and his agent statements should clear everything once and for all.
Leeds do not need another attacking midfielder this summer and there’s no chance they will pay his release clause in order to sign him.
Their focus will now be on a striker as well as a left-back and they cannot afford to be drawn into links to players like Otavio.
Hopefully, Victor Orta is seriously considering a move for a left-back because that’s an in-demand position after Junior Firpo’s injury.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay claims that a midfielder who was admired by Marcelo Bielsa is set to leave this summer.