Leeds Utd transfers: £5.1m summer target left to rue Farke snub as Liverpool icon comes to brutal decision
Nadiem Amiri rejected a summer move to Leeds Utd
Nadiem Amiri has been left in a massive state of limbo after the Bayer Leverkusen star snubbed the chance to join Leeds United over the summer.
The German star was close to sealing a move to Elland Road after the Whites had a €6m (£5.1m) offer for his services accepted by the Bundesliga club, who were eager to offload the 26-year-old. After initially rejecting the move owing to his wife being close to giving birth, the player then performed a U-turn by deciding to travel to West Yorkshire to hold transfer talks.
However, after looking around the city and after asking Leeds if they would include an escape clause in the deal if they did not win promotion this season, the move broke down with Daniel Farke refusing to budge. To that end, Leeds had been stung badly this summer with a number of players departing off the back of release clauses inserted into their deals. As a result, the no-nonsense Leeds boss was determined to ensure history would not repeat itself, therefore standing his ground to resist Amiri’s request.
With the move called off, Amiri was forced to return to Leverkusen – with Leeds refusing to carry the cost of his return flight – to tell the Bundesliga side that he would be staying after all.
However, that move has come with serious consequences with Bayer making clear to the playmaker that he faced a tough battle to win his place back in their plans for the season.
Now that decision appears to be coming back to haunt him big time.
Amiri told he has ‘no future’ at Bayer Leverkusen after rejecting Leeds
Since rejecting the move, Amiri is yet to feature in a Bundesliga matchday squad for Leverkusen.
Now their coach and Liverpool icon Xabi Alonso has taken the decision to leave Amiri out of Bayer’s squad for the Europa League, further restricting his chances of game-time.
Shedding light on his situation, the Rheinische Post suggests Alonso is angry at Amiri’s decision to reject the move to Leeds, with Bayer making it clear he has ‘no prospects’ of resurrecting his career with them.
Kicker clarify these claims and suggest both Alonso and sporting director Simon Rolfes are disappointed to still have a player they don’t rate or want on their books. And despite seeing the player show fighting spirit in training, their decision is reportedly final. Ultimately, the player is now facing up the brutal reality of seeing no first-team football until the January window opens and he will be free to negotiate terms again with any other suitor.
It remains to be seen if Leeds will resurrect their interest in the player. However, with his deal by then having just six months to run, and with the player having already turned his back on a move to Elland Road, it would appear unlikely that the move to the Championship promotion hopefuls will launch a fresh move and certainly not at the price agreed at in the summer.
Amiri has been ay Leverkusen since a 2019 move from Hoffenheim and has eight goals and 14 assists in 98 appearances for the club.
READ MORE: Wober tight-lipped on long-term Leeds future after describing exit as ‘really great move’
