Swansea City have walked away from André Almeida weeks ago, but their failed move for the Valencia midfielder is now causing problems for the player and Celta Vigo.
Almeida rejected Swansea earlier this month despite Valencia accepting a deal worth €3.5m (£3m) plus bonuses. He preferred to remain in La Liga and was willing to wait for Celta.
That patience hasn’t quite paid off yet. Reports from Spain now explain Valencia are using the Swansea agreement as their benchmark. With only days left in the window, Celta are still struggling to match it.
Swansea deal sets the price
Superdeporte reported on Wednesday that Valencia have no intention of accepting less than the €3.5m (£3m) they agreed with Swansea.
Celta initially tried to get Almeida for considerably less. Now there’s been movement.
According to El Gol Digital, Celta are increasing their offer from €2m (£1.7m) plus bonuses to €3m (£2.6m). Galicia Press also reports the new €3m (£2.6m) proposal, crediting journalist Óscar Méndez with the information.
That’s getting closer, but Valencia still want more. There are conflicting claims over exactly where they draw the line. Some reports put their minimum at €4m (£3.5m), while Superdeporte says matching Swansea’s €3.5m (£3m) agreement would be enough.
Either way, Celta aren’t there yet.
Almeida still wants Celta
The player’s position makes this particularly interesting. Almeida already has a personal agreement with Celta and remains keen on the move. His decision to reject Swansea was driven by his desire to continue playing in La Liga.
That means Valencia have a player who knows where he wants to go, but a buying club which so far won’t match the money Swansea had offered.
Valencia have their own reasons for standing firm. They need money for attacking reinforcements and see Almeida as one of the players most capable of bringing in a useful fee before the deadline.
So, weeks after Almeida turned them down, Swansea still have an indirect role in this story.
