Reliable journalist details what Southampton said in email to Leeds after final Che Adams bid
Southampton had to email Leeds United to tell them to cease contact over Che Adams, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
BBC Sport reported last week that Leeds had three bids for Adams, 23, rejected by the Saints, with their last approach being a loan offer with the option to buy the ex-Birmingham forward for £20million in the summer if they’re promoted.
Leeds’ insistence upon tabling offers for a player they were told was unavailable this month led to behind-the-scenes bemusement at St Mary’s and it now it seems Southampton had to make it clear to the Championship giants that they wanted them to end all communication over the striker.
“Adams, throughout, was Leeds’ first choice. The club remain quite honest about that. But they went as high as they could with their last offer and at that point Southampton emailed them asking for all contact to cease,” Hay said on The Athletic website on Friday.
It was very clear that Adams was Leeds’ top target throughout January as not many clubs table three offers for a player when they’ve been told repeatedly he’s not available.
January has still worked out well for the Whites anyway.
Jean-Kevin Augustin has arrived at Elland Road on loan from RB Leipzig and he seems like a striker who is a cut above most other players in his position in the Championship.
Although he struggled at Monaco in the first half of the season while on loan in France, the same can be said about Adams, who is yet to score since joining Southampton from Birmingham in the summer.
Augustin is still a striker who scored 20 goals across all competitions in his two seasons at Leipzig before heading to Monaco and some of those goals came against top opposition in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Once he gets playing, it’s likely that the Frenchman will tear up the Championship with Leeds.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites want to pay off the contract of this 26-year-old.