Player snubs switch to Elland Rd after Leeds table huge £31.4m bid – report
Leeds United tabled a bid worth a huge £31.4million bid for Jonathan David but were rejected by the soon-to-be-former KAA Gent striker, according to HLN.
The Belgian newspaper reports on their website that David, 20, is due to undergo a medical with Lille after the Ligue 1 club had a £24.7million offer, plus “hefty” bonuses, accepted.
It is understood that David had no intention of joining newly-promoted Leeds in the Premier League and was fixated on joining Lille.
HLN adds that Gent used Leeds’ club-record offer and the fact that David had three years left on his contract to drive up the sum that Lille had to pay for the Canada international.
Gent chairman Ivan De Witte had confirmed that Leeds had submitted a bid that outweighed Lille’s but this update by HLN shows just how much the Whites were willing to pay for the 20-year-old ace.
David had a brilliant season in Belgian football last term.
In 40 appearances across all competitions, he scored 23 goals and supplied 10 assists as he played as both a centre-forward and an attacking midfielder.
It is clear why Lille agreed to pay that fee for him based on those stats but we cannot understand why Leeds proposed so much.
Everyone is expecting a rather muted summer transfer window by Marcelo Bielsa, who is not a fan of chopping and changing his team or using millions upon millions to bring in players.
We fully expect Patrick Bamford to start as Leeds’ striker for their first game back in the Premier League so why would the club go out their way to shell so much cash on someone like David?
It’s an odd one and maybe Leeds have just been used to drive up the price of what Lille had to pay.
And if that is the case, it seems it has worked with David set to become the most expensive sale in the history of Belgian football.
In other Leeds United news, the club is eyeing up this Nottingham Forest player.