Leeds United have quite clearly been interested in signing Southampton’s Che Adams in the January transfer window. Recently reports (BBC) had revealed that the Saints rejected Leeds United’s third bid to sign the striker. The Whites had offered a loan fee and £20m in the summer if they get promoted. However, even that wasn’t enough to pursue the Saints.
Why the latest offer from the Whites seemed a fair one?
We believe that the Whites can’t do much more than that as £20m is more than a fair offer for a player who has moved in the summer for £15m. Adams hasn’t done anything of note for Southampton, and he has failed to settle in at the club, and yet they could have made a £5m profit on him. Hence, we cannot blame the Whites here for not trying hard enough to bring in a new striker.
Some hopes alive for Leeds United
United might still have some hope as reports from the Telegraph mentions that the final decision regarding Che Adams’ future could be taken this weekend. It is believed that chairman Gao Jisheng will look again at the structure of the £20m deal and negotiate.
Southampton’s boss Hasenhuttl has been quite stubborn so far, and he had said recently, ”We need every player. I trust every player, and I did it also in the moment where we haven’t been that successful, we need the squad. I don’t want to let anybody go.”
We have seen things move quickly in the last few days of the transfer window and Leeds United will hope that after the misfortune of last season’s January window, the lady luck might shine on them this time around. However, the Saints are fighting a relegation battle, and it is understandable why they might be sceptical about losing a striker.
Adams has 18 appearances in the Premier League so far, but he has started just eight games. Danny Ings has been in terrific form this season, and the club also has the likes of Michael Obafemi and Shane Long. The Saints usually play in a 4-4-2 using two strikers upfront. Hence, it is understandable why they might want to keep two backup strikers.
Adams will undoubtedly be a significant coup, and the latest report gives United a little bit of hope that the Saints might want to restructure a deal. As mentioned, the Whites have put in a good offer for a player who moved in the summer for 15m and hasn’t made any impact. It remains to be seen what decision the Saint would come up within the next few days.
