Leeds United have been in pursuit of US Lecce’s Nikola Krstović over the past week, with the Italian club tempted by the Whites approaches.
On Tuesday, Corriere dello Sport stated Lecce have an agreement in principle to sell the striker to Leeds for €23m. They also reported the two parties are waiting for his approval.
Solo Lecce states Leeds have ‘never been so close’ to an agreement.
The Whites have promised to pay €30m including bonuses, of which those related to his performances are easily achievable. Other bonuses are linked to Leeds avoiding relegation.
In order to convince the 25-year-old, the report states Daniel Farke’s side are offering him an annual salary of €1.2m. Solo Lecce report Leeds United ‘go up and go down, go down and go up’ and are seen as a yo-yo club by the player, and that’s why the Montenegro international isn’t convinced of joining them.
Leeds have secured promotion to the Premier League, after spending two years in the Championship. Krstović fears the English club could drop to the second division in a year or two and he’s worried about his career in that respect.
Solo Lecce state: ‘Nikola Krstović expects a leap in quality from the market, Milan, Roma, the opportunity that changes your career, not the possibility of ending up in the English B league in two years and leaving the crest of the wave where he is now.
‘Reasoning that doesn’t miss a beat, this boy’s intelligence is certainly not lacking, the ability to stay lucid even in the face of the “heavy” pounds that arrive from across the Channel.’
The attacker is clear that he either makes a big jump or he’ll continue at Lecce.
Whether a few extra thousand a week could chance that stance remains to be seen.
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