A couple of times since the close of the summer transfer window, we’ve taken a look at the situation of William Remy, who, according to French claims, came close to signing for Leeds United right at the end of the market.
Remy is a defender with French club Montpellier, and his contract runs out in June, but it’s hard for Leeds United to scout him further because he’s simply not been playing. Out of teams, Remy has also been out of Montpellier match-day squads, he even failed to make the squad selection for a Coupe de la Ligue tie last week.
There’s not been much said about it all in France, but it’s been very clear that if Leeds want him, their chances are high.
Saturday’s L’Equipe does touch upon Remy’s situation, in an article about players being ostracised at their clubs. The French newspaper say Remy is one of 10 Ligue 1 players who have no chance of featuring ‘unless a gastro epidemic ravages the squad’.
For most of the players the issue is contract related. Won’t sign a new one, so they’re ostracised.
On Remy and his teammate Lukas Pokorny, Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin is quoted as saying: “It is the coach who decides and it is purely sport reasons. Our defence works like this, quite simply. We don’t do it to make the players leave because it would be a shot in the foot. To see people leaving, it’s better they have a little value by playing a minimum amount. These two players are not excluded, they train with the pros all week.”
L’Equipe don’t seem to be completely buying it, saying Nicollin’s comments fit in well with the ‘legal framework’, with players able to take clubs to task for treating them unfairly.
Whatever the odd reasoning, and it certainly does seem to be about more than simply sporting decisions, it all presents Leeds United the transfer on a plate… in January or next summer.
