Phil Hay confirms Nadiem Amiri deal to Leeds United is dead, club won’t pay flight home
A deal between Leeds United and Bayer Leverkusen for midfielder Nadiem Amiri is dead, with no further approaches expected, as the club have formally withdrawn interest, according to Phil Hay.
Writing in The Athletic’s transfer column (29 August, 6:07 pm), Hay reported that after arriving in the city, the 26-year-old had spent time with boss Daniel Farke at Elland Road and Thorpe Arch, with the impression that the talks had gone positively.
Nonetheless, the club were left frustrated after the player’s camp made additional financial demands, and an agreement was not reached, which meant medical tests could not get underway.
Amiri was reportedly in two minds about the switch, following complications in the transfer as the player struggled to agree on the terms of his exit with his current club. His willingness to fly to England increased confidence a deal could be done, but following the breakdown in talks, the Whites refused to pay for his flight home.
Leeds are frustrated by various German reports stating he was put off by the city, with complications having arisen before he arrived.
Nightmare
This is one of the stranger transfer stories that has emerged from West Yorkshire in quite some time. In the end, it seems as if the club might have dodged a bullet with the player and his camp clearly proving very difficult to work with throughout negotiations.
Refusing to pay for his flight home suggests that they were left very frustrated and talks must have ended on bad terms, which implies that there is no chance of salvaging any type of deal in the future. As a result, Farke will have to prepare for life without the player, as a crazy summer at Elland Road takes yet another twist.
Supporters shouldn’t let this dampen their optimism, though, following a positive few days in the transfer market, alongside the reintegration of Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra into the squad, which proved a smart choice as they both scored during their side’s first win of the Championship season, a 4-3 victory at Ipswich Town.
In other Leeds United news, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on another player set to join the club.