Leeds United had a relatively quiet January transfer window despite being linked with every man and his dog, but just how close were they from landing former Hull City hotshot Jarrod Bowen?
What’s he said?
Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa clinched Ian Poveda from Manchester City on a permanent deal and striker Jean-Kevin Augustin on loan from RB Leipzig, but it was the versatile Tigers sensation that many fans wanted at Elland Road.
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According to The Sun, Leeds were lining up an audacious bid for Bowen, which started with £3m loan fee before being paid an extra £15m upon promotion.
But were they actually close to raiding him? Here’s what Phil Hay claimed in a recent Q&A on The Athletic…
Transfer mistake?
Although the finances in this deal were always going to be a stumbling block, their move for Augustin shows that surely something could have been worked out as the west Yorkshire outfit are paying £2.5m in fees and wages alone – for just five months of action.
Bowen had become a superstar in the Championship in recent seasons, scoring at least 14 times each campaign. As a result he clinched a move to Premier League outfit West Ham, where he has scored one goal in 184 minutes of game time, taking his total for the 2019/20 season to 18.
Given that the Leipzig frontman has spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch, having featured for just 48 minutes across three substitute cameos, via Transfermarkt, so that move is looking poorer by the week.
The 23-year-old may have been a pipedream for United, but oh how they could have done with him during their title run-in this season.
AND in other news, Leeds signing £6m ace makes a ton of sense this summer…