Leeds United target Cristhian Stuani is expected to leave Girona after the Catalan club missed out on promotion to La Liga, the club’s sporting director Quique Carcel has admitted to Estadio Deportivo.
While another Spanish-based striker is on the verge of becoming the most expensive signing in Leeds’ 100-year history, there is still a chance that Stuani will join Rodrigo Moreno at Elland Road before the window slams shut.
At the age of 33, the Uruguayan veteran will hardly bite a sizeable chunk of the club’s summer budget after all.
And, after Girona lost to Elche in the Segunda play-off final last week, Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta will surely be tempted to reunite with a man he paid almost £3 million for during his time at Middlesbrough five years ago.
90Min reported in July that Leeds were watching Stuani’s situation very closely at the Montilivi Stadium.
“It is most likely that Stuani will leave the club this summer. He will be a very attractive player for other clubs,” says Girona director Carcel.
“I cannot rule out him (staying) 100 per cent because he has two more years on his contract and I know how he feels about these colours.
“But, if we are realistic, we know that it is very difficult to keep this player.
“We have fought until the last second (for promotion). We have missed a very great opportunity.”
Carcel adds that the promise of an immediate return to La Liga was one of the main reasons why Stuani decided to stay at Girona once their relegation was confirmed in 2019.
The one-time Riverside ace scored 21 and 19 goals respectively in his two top-flight campaigns at Girona, before finding the net 31 times as the White and Reds secured a top-six place in 2019/20.
But while Stuani was expired to be the play-off hero, he was instead sent off during that heart-breaking defeat to Elche. Hardly ‘going out on a high’.
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