Nahitan Nandez could join Napoli or Roma after Cagliari confirmed Leeds United’s interest in the all-action midfielder, as reported by Tuttomeractoweb.
Marcelo Bielsa has been a big fan of this tenacious Uruguay international since his time at Boca Juniors. And, after being linked in 2019, Leeds renewed their interest after securing a return to the Premier League.
The West Yorkshire giants may have hoped the lure of England’s top flight, and the increased funds only promotion can provide, would see Bielsa finally shake hands in the summer with a player he has admired from afar for years.
But, according to Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini, Leeds simply left it too late in the summer window to make their move.
The Sardinians were never going to sell one of their prized assets so late in the window, especially when there was so little time to find a replacement.
“Both Nandez and (striker Giovanni) Simeone are players who Leeds like,” Giulini told TMW in October.
“But it is ruled out that these players will leave in the last few days (of the window), because that would weaken (our squad) and that’s not what we want to do. It’s too late now. There wouldn’t be time to replace them.”
Unfortunately for Cagliari, the January window is now looming on the horizon. And while Nandez feels at home amid the sea, sand and wide open spaces of Sardinia, the chance to join one of Italy’s biggest clubs might be impossible to ignore.
TMW claims Napoli and Roma both plan to make an offer this winter.
Cagliari, meanwhile, are demanding £33 million, far more than the £22.5 million offered by Leeds (Centro Trentuno).
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