There’s either complete delusion at Carpi or things aren’t as simple as presented by the Yorkshire Evening Post on Tuesday.
The Championship club’s local newspaper reported: ‘Leeds United have officially ended their interest in Carpi striker Jerry Mbakogu by informing the Italian club that they will not be exercising an option to sign him. A letter sent by United to Carpi’s hierarchy has drawn a line under talk of Mbakogu moving to England amid ongoing claims that the Nigerian forward was set for switch to Elland Road.’
Their Carpi counterparts, Gazzetta di Modena, have picked this up and got the story from the Italian end of a deal, and it’s stated those claims from Yorkshire mean nothing to the Serie B club who still have confidence in a deal happening.
It was already known that Leeds wouldn’t be using their official option to sign the player for £3m, and that’s something which expired at the end of June anyway. Gazzetta di Modena state sources at Carpi ‘continue to profess confidence in a successful conclusion of the negotiation’.
And that’s where it all gets a little stranger.
It’s claimed a verbal agreement has been reached for the transfer at a lower price, and it’s not thought that will be reneged upon because ‘around the table Italian is spoken and strangers do not sit’.
There are links between several people involved in the negotiation, and it’s suggested Radrizzani continues to have relations with Football Capital, an agency he gave up shares in to buy Leeds United. And which agency represents Mbakogu? Football Capital.
