Caleb who? That was the likely admission of every Leeds United fan when news broke that the Whites had brought in Chievo Verona’s young striker Caleb Ekuban.
He’s scored 17 goals though for his last loan club – that was a statement that might have raised a modicum of interest. Finding out that this was for FK Partizani on loan in the Albanian Kategoria Superiore would dampen any enthusiasm.
Ekuban was a hard enough worker and as affable a player as you could meet, it’s just that he wasn’t what Leeds United wanted and he didn’t exactly light up the Sky Bet Championship.
In all, the likeable Ghanaian scored just twice for Leeds in the 21 appearances that he made for the West Yorkshire outfit. When Marcelo Boielsa came aboard over last summer, it was quickly apparent that his face didn’t fit at the club.
A move to Trabzonspor was negotiated and Ekuban has hit the straps over in Turkey with eight goals and three assists in 32 appearances this season.
It’s not earth-shattering figures, but it seems that it is enough to convince the Turkish Super Lig side to make it a permanent deal.
Yönetim Kurulumuzca; İngiltere'nin Leeds United FC'den kiralık olarak kadromuzda yer alan ve satın alma hakkı kulübümüzde bulunan profesyonel futbolcu Caleb Ekuban'ın satın alma hakkının kullanılmasına karar verilmiş olup futbolcu ve ilgili kulübe gerekli bildirimler yapılmıştır pic.twitter.com/Zy6U194QuB
— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) May 3, 2019
The text of the tweet reads as follows:
“Our board of directors ; we have decided to use the right of purchase of professional football player Caleb Ekuban, who is in our team as a rented person from Leeds United FC in England and has the right to buy, and the necessary notification has been made to the footballer and related club.”
The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Phil Hay adds a little colour to the proceedings with his article. In this he says that Trabzonspor are ready to pay “around £2m up front” for Caleb Ekuban in a deal that will see him sign a four-year deal.
It’s a near £2m fee that Leeds will receive for a player who didn’t spark for them, and a player who only cost them £500,000 when arriving from Italy.
