Leeds United cannot afford to sign Nahitan Nandez
Leeds United are backing out of their bid to sign Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez due to the finances involved in the deal, according to CalcioMercato.
The Italian news outlet claims Marcelo Bielsa has wanted to sign the 25-year-old Uruguay international.
However, it is understood that Nandez’s £30.9million release clause at Cagliari is now an issue.
CalcioMercato claims that as Leeds are signing Barcelona left-back Junior Firpo, they are no longer willing to break their transfer record to match Nandez’s release clause.
Alessio Lento, who wrote the story, does add at the bottom the situation could change if Cagliari are willing to negotiate.
Doesn’t add up
Is this the Italian media back-tracking?
Nandez has been linked with Leeds for a while and it has only ever been the Italian media that has pushed it.
In fact, they’ve been relentless.
Despite news outlets in the UK – most recently LeedsLive – claiming that there’s no interest from Leeds in the Uruguayan, sites like CalcioMercato have constantly said that there is.
However, it now seems as though CalcioMercato have used the reportedly imminent £13million swoop for Barcelona’s Firpo as a reason to say Leeds are backing out of signing Nandez.
We don’t buy it. Not for one minute.
Leeds are bound to be able to afford both Nandez and Firpo for the prices stated.
Last summer, the Whites spent over £100million on new players and since then they have finished in the top half of the Premier League, held back funds in January and secured new investment from the 49ers.
What a load of rubbish.
Nandez isn’t signing.
In other Leeds United news, Charlie Austin was blown away by what he saw Kalvin Phillips do for England in the win over Germany.