Samu Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski: Leeds United latest on two stalled signings

 

Samu Saiz to Leeds United should have been done by now, at least according to reports.

On Wednesday June 28th it was reported in Spain that Saiz would be a Leeds United by Monday, at the latest.

That was after earlier claims, via Twitter ITKs, that it would all be sorted out by last Wednesday or Thursday. But, as we continually made clear, the whole thing seemed to be running on assumption and everyone trying to get there first.

There’d be a Spanish report, which would then be exaggerated for an English audience, and picked up by people pretending they know more than they do. That in turn would encourage further Spanish claims.

In real terms, without it all being given the rumour treatment, nothing seems to have happened since the early claims of Leeds United being seriously interested, prepared to pay big wages, and submitting an offer Spanish clubs find hard to match.

On Monday, Heraldo’s SD Huesca section reported that only the ‘fringes’ of a deal needed to be settled. But they took that lead from the English media, who had almost certainly taken it from Spain, and the circle continued without anything actually happening.

Ezgjan Alioski is another case of people recycling information for their own ends. Last week we covered a report from Switzerland’s Fussball Infos which said FC Basel remained interested, along with Leeds United. They’d found that out from their Swiss sources earlier in the year, and had it backed up again.

That has since been picked up by Twitter ITKs, without any credit given to the actual source, and presented as new. Poor old Fussball Infos have then seen this, not realised it’s their own information being lifted, and reported it again.

Just like Saiz, Alioski to Leeds United is going around and around, with as much mileage as possible being dragged out of it.

On Saiz the most reliable information over the past week has come from Huesca director Jose Luis Ortas telling Cope: “There is a significant offer from Leeds United for Samu Saiz but it’s not certain that he goes there, there are more offers.”

That was a few days ago, and seems to be where things currently stand. On Alioski, it’s likely he continues to wait and see which offers come in, not eager to jump at any yet.

When the Alioski rumours emerged, Sport Witness contacted the player’s agent who, at that stage, wasn’t keen to encourage Leeds United links.