Manchester City appear close to signing teenage breakout Juma Bah from Real Valladolid, but La Pucela have come out to condemn their move. Instead of agreeing a transfer fee between the two clubs, City risks a sanction from UEFA to get Bah cheaply.
According to reports in Spain, City and Valladolid were in talks over a takeover of Bah for around €8 million, while Fenerbahce and Inter had offered as much as €12 million for his services. Bah had been on loan from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone, but Valladolid exercised a buy clause in a deal totaling €165,000. However, they still had Bah on a youth contract, and it is reported that City will face a €6 million fine if he breaks his youth contract on the advice of his agent.
Valladolid issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon noting that Bah did not show up for training on the same day and that the RFEF informed them that Bah had deposited the necessary amount to unilaterally terminate his contract. They say they believe City advised Bah and his agent to follow this course of action, to which they express their disappointment and outrage.
Moreover, they are threatening legal action against Manchester City to defend their interests. La Pucela had exercised their buy clause on January 1, but believed Bah refused to sign a senior deal on City's advice, which would have increased his release clause. It is believed his release clause would have been increased to €12 million on a B-team contract, and €30 million on a senior deal.
Full statement:
Abdulai Juma Bah and his agent informed Real Valladolid yesterday afternoon of their intention to unilaterally break the contract that unites both parties. Earlier, yesterday afternoon, Manchester City sent a statement asking Real Valladolid to open negotiations for the player on a possible permanent transfer. Today the Sierra Leonean has decided not to report to his workplace for the morning training. For all these reasons, the Club holds the player responsible for failure to fulfill his contractual obligations and has requested its Legal Department to take disciplinary action in this regard.
The Club believes that Manchester City, belonging to the City Football Group, is behind the player's decision, which seems to have advised the player to take this path that leaves Real Valladolid in a defenseless situation, after recent financial offers from to have rejected a higher amount. even more so when the player is in the legally protected period of the youth phase and had recently refused to sign the professional player license as this entailed the automatic increase of his termination clause. Yesterday, he warned the three parties about this entire situation through various demands, warning them of the possible consequences of their actions.
Juma Bah joined Los Anexos on loan from AIK Freetown last summer. The loan contract with the Sierra Leone club ended on June 30 of this season and included a clause for Real Valladolid to exercise a purchase option, a clause that the Blanquivioleta entity exercised on January 1, so that the federation rights belong to the central defender . to Pucela under a new contract of longer duration and with better conditions.
The player's intention, supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent, has caused great disappointment and outrage at Real Valladolid, who welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation has just confirmed that the player has paid the amount for the unilateral termination of the contract. In this sense, Real Valladolid informs that it reserves the right to go to the appropriate legal and sporting jurisdictions to exercise its rights and defend its interests.