Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leeds United both expressed their interest in Alhassan Yusuf before the defensive midfielder joined Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp last week, as reported by Score Nigeria.
As far back as 2019, Wolverhampton Wanderers were offering £6 million for a talented little ball-winner who had drawn comparisons with N’Golo Kante on the back of his tireless performances at IFK Goteborg.
At the time, Goteborg had no problems rejecting such a bid, presumably feeling that Yusuf would be worth even more after honing his talents further in the relatively small pond that was Sweden’s top flight.
Imagine the frustration, then, when the club from Sweden’s second city had to accept a £1.3 million bid from Royal Antwerp last week.
After failing to tie Yusuf down to a new deal, their hopes of making a huge profit on a player they brought in from Nigeria as a little-known teenager quickly went up in smoke.
And it wasn’t just Wolves who missed out on Yusuf either.
Will Leeds and Aston Villa regret missing out on Alhassan Yusuf?
The likes of Rangers, Sheffield United and Leicester City have all been linked in recent months.
According to Score Nigeria, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and Dean Smith’s Aston Villa also expressed their interest earlier this month. At the time, Yusuf’s move to Belgium was a long way down the line and it was simply too late to call things off.
The report indicates that Leeds may have even discussed a move for the 21-year-old at board level, suggesting that director of football Victor Orta had taken a keen interest in a man renowned for his energy and tenacity in the middle of the park.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
