There’s now clear disagreement in the Italian media over Nahitan Nandez to Leeds United and what’s actually happening with a deal.
Claims started more than a week ago when it was stated the Premier League club are prepared to pay the player’s full €36m clause to take him away from Cagliari. At the time, we explained that seemed a little odd, with it surely likelier the Whites would initially go in lower.
Back then it was also stated Nandez would prefer a move to Inter Milan, and would be holding out for that. Inter then agreed a deal to sign Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and whilst he arrived as a free agent it’s still a costly transfer when wages and commission are taken into account.
Inter’s plan this summer was to reduce their wage bill and bring money in, so the deal didn’t quite fit. Subsequently there were claims the move made a swoop for Nandez unlikely, and that encouraged Leeds claims.
The Uruguayan’s agent then spoke to a podcast local to the Yorkshire club and talked up the desire for a move to Leeds, pushing all the rumours further.
Saturday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport made it sound like a move was nearly agreed, before others questioned that.
La Nuova Sardegna, who kicked the whole thing off, won’t let go of the bone. Today they say Leeds United are ‘more and more determined’ to pay the €36m clause.
Again, that’s worth questioning, because surely if they were that determined, and the player is as keen as his agent states… then they’d just… pay it. To be fair, the newspaper also points out Leeds could spread the payment over two years, so there’s a possibility that is under discussion.
Nandez is represented by the Bentancur group, and other clients include Lucas Torreira, Gaston Ramirez and Abel Hernandez. What do they have in common apart from all being Uruguayan? They’ve spent chunks of their careers at the centre of complicated transfer rumours and claims.
Agents are pushing this, yet that doesn’t mean there’s nothing in the story, and the coming weeks should bring a little more clarity.
