, Leeds United hopes dashed after Portuguese giants bid for Whites target

Leeds United hopes dashed after Portuguese giants bid for Whites target

Earlier this month, and as written about here on The72, Leeds United were said to be interested in capturing Alaves’ Ibai Gomez, a playmaker who has worked with Marcelo Bielsa before.

United were heavily linked, by Spanish outlet AS, with a move for the playmaker before; links between Gomez and the Whites then re-emerging.

It is reported that he has a €10 million release clause in his contract, but speculation say it will only take €4 million to prize him away from Alaves. This is due, in part, with his contract ending at the end of this season.

The 28-year-old started his career at Basque side Santutxu, where he spent his youth career before spending one season with Sesta River club, scoring eight goals in 36 games. Before joining the senior team at Bilbao, Gomez played 19 games for their B-team, Bilbao Athletic, where the Spaniard scored 12 goals and picked up two assists.

Gomez went on to spend six years with Athletic Bilbao, playing 145 games, scoring 17 times and assisting 23 goals. He also played 26 times in both the Champions League and the Europa League, helping the Basque Country side get to the Europa League final in 2012, where they lost to fellow Spanish side Atletico Madrid 3-0.

However, Basque media outlet eitb.eus (EITB) report that not only do the Whites have serious competition for his signature, but that the competition has stolen a march on the West Yorkshire club.

They report that as well as Gomez having “attracted the interest of several teams“, amongst them Leeds, that Portuguese giants Sporting have entered the fray. Sporting have not only entered the battle for Gomez’s signature, but also “has made an offer.”

EITB also report that others are waiting in the wings, attracted by the returns and level of Gomez this season. 29-year-old Gomez has featured in 17 La Liga games so far this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Two of these goals came in a 5-1 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano.

Should Gomez be looking to leave 6th-place Alaves, or should Alaves be looking to cash in on him in January, it looks like a two-way pull is developing. Pulling one way is the lure of the Liga NOS with Sporting and potential Champions League football.

Yet, pulling the opposite way, it’s high-riding Leeds United who could very well be looking to push on in their striving for the promised land, for that Premier League place that has eluded them for so long.

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