Brest are under no pressure to sell Leeds United target Romain Faivre and will demand more than £13 million, sporting director Gregory Lorenzi told L’Equipe.
The Ligue 1 outfit lost influential skipper Ibrahima Diallo to Southampton last summer, but do not make the mistake in assuming that this is a ‘selling club’ in desperate need of a cash injection.
Brest have ambitions of their own, playing some of the most exciting, eye-catching football in France under the much-admired Oliver Dall’Oglio.
Faivre, the scheming attacking midfielder, is the beating heart of Dall’Oglio’s midfield, driving Brest up the table and away from the relegation zone during a superb debut season at the Stade Francis-Le Ble.
According to L’Equipe, Faivre’s defence-splitting displays have caught the eye of Leeds, not to mention Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund.
But Brest are in no rush to sell their creative lynchpin, less than a year after he arrived from Monaco for a bargain £300,000.
“I have not set a price. We are not in a situation where we will be forced to sell Romain. We are not sellers,” Lorenzi explained.
“We sold Diallo for €15m (£13 million) and attacking players are worth more.”
Lorenzi does add, however, that if Leeds, Leverkusen or Dortmund make an offer Brest simply cannot refuse, then it would make little sense to keep Faivre for a second season.
“We know that because of his performances, he will be a sought-after player and we know very well that in the face of a certain level of offers, we will not be able to retain him.”
According to Le10 Sport, Leeds will face competition from bitter rivals Manchester United, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, for Faivre’s signature.
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