According to the Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP), Leeds United have been given an ultimatum by Carpi president Stefano Bonacini about the signing of supposed target striker Jerry Mbakogu.
The ultimatum from the Serie B side’s president reiterates that a deal in principle for Nigerian-turned-Italian citizen Mbakogu – a deal with a definite deadline of June 30.
Bonacini has been quite vocal over Italian media, including just four days ago when, again according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. Here the Carpi president spoke on Italian radio station RMC, saying of the striker: “Mbakogu should go to Leeds. He deserves a chance on an important stage – the second tier in England is not the Italian Serie B.”
Quoted in today’s YEP, Bonacini stated that “We have signed a pre-contract with Leeds and by end of the 30th June we will have to close it. Unless there are some unexpected traps, he will play there next season.”
The thing is, Leeds United fans suffer neither fools not underachievement at the club, and Mbakogu has hardly been pulling up trees this season. Mbakogu has featured in just 25 games and scored six goals – these coming at the rate of a goal every 310 minutes.
‘Interest’ has been growing in Nigerian Mbakogu for a while, with Italian source TUTTOmercatoWEB saying back in January that Leeds United were interested, with the YEP saying that the Whites had negotiated an option on the striker, an option they are yet to take up.
The Whites are also said to be involved with a pursuit for Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez, the 28-year-old soon to be leaving the KCOM after refusing the offer of a new contract. United are highly interested in his capture, and are thought to be looking at ways to structure a deal for a player said to be on around £40,000-per-week.
