Leeds are ready to PULL THE PLUG on their deal for Marseille’s Bamba Dieng despite chairman Andrea Radrizzani tweeting a welcome to the player with Nice having stepped in to gazump the West Yorkshire club with only hours to go
- Marseille’s Bamba Dieng has been discussing a move to Fulham this week
- Leeds have stepped in after their move for Cody Gakpo was blocked
- Nice emerged as an option to the player with only hours to go in the market
- Dieng has been a target for Nottingham Forest and Newcastle in recent months
- Fulham are signing Willian today but after missing out on Roma’s Justin Kluivert
Leeds United are ready to pull the plug on their proposed deal for Bamba Dieng.
The move is on the verge of collapse after Nice made a last-ditch bid to sign him.
The 22-year-old is in a private jet terminal with his plane on standby after Nice made their move to stop him going to England.
Bamba Dieng’s move to Leeds was on the verge of collapse early on Thursday evening
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch turned to the Senegal forward after other moves fell through
He was deciding whether to stay in France or take a flight to Leeds with time against him but the Elland Road club are now looking at alternatives.
Leeds were confident of landing the striker after agreeing a £8.6million deal this morning and chairman Andrea Radrizzani even tweeting a welcome.
However, with Dieng on his way for a medical, Nice have stepped in to match the offer and are now trying to convince him to stay in France.
Dieng, a Senegal international, is rated as one of most exciting prospects in European football
Leeds agreed the fee with Marseille earlier on Thursday after a failed move for PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo.
Leeds’s search for the last-minute addition of a striker to their squad follows an injury to Rodrigo who is out for three to four weeks after dislocating his shoulder.
Leeds’ director of football, Victor Orta, was in Eindhoven on Tuesday with the intention of signing Holland international Gakpo but the winger is set to stay after PSV rejected offers from Leeds and Southampton.
Leeds had also bid £18m for Wolves Hwang Hee-Chan but the Molineux club refused to sell.
Leeds have also agreed to let Dan James join Fulham where he has undergone a medical ready to sign on loan.
Marseille are understood to have been looking to move Dieng – who has yet to figure this season – on this summer to streamline their attacking options.
Dan James is a target for Fulham and could move to west London before the end of the window
Reports in France on Wednesday claimed Dieng was closing in on a transfer to Lorient with a £6.9million (€8m) fee discussed, although the latter were said to be more keen on a loan with an option to buy.
Dieng moved to Marseille from Diambars in Senegal two years ago and scored on his first-team debut in February 2021 in a Coupe de France win against Auxerre.
He made his senior international bow eight months later and scored a penalty in the shootout to help Senegal beat Egypt in the final of the most recent Africa Cup of Nations.
Moves for PSV star Cody Gakpo (R) and Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan (L) fell through
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