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News
Hasenhuttl vindicated for snubbing Leeds bids for Southampton striker Che Adams
If reports are to be believed, one person’s approval was all that stood between Leeds United and a January deal for Southampton striker Che Adams.
, Leeds had made three offers for Adams in the winter. The highest bid would have seen the Whites pay a large loan fee, and then pay £20 million to make the move permanent if they secure promotion.
Ultimately however, the Saints dug their heels in and rejected all offers for the 24-year-old. But it appears that keeping Adams was anything but an unanimous decision amongst those at St Mary’s.
By the time of Leeds’s third bid, Adams had made 21 appearances for Southampton. And yet, he was still awaiting his first goal for the club.
Some fans may have therefore, thought it would make sense to cash in. While loaning him out may not have been ideal, it looked likely that Leeds would have to spend more than £20 million on him in the summer.
And it appears that some behind the scenes at Southampton also felt that way. In fact, , the Saints board were ready to accept an earlier offer which included a future fee of just £10 million.
That is until Hasenhuttl reportedly put his foot down and informed the board that he wanted Adams to stay.
Adams’s first goal would actually still not come until July. But that screamer against Manchester City sparked a run of four goals in his final six appearances of last season.
And he has started this campaign with two goals and two assists. The latest strike came in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Everton.
There was always a lot to like about Adams’s game before the goals started coming. But Leeds’s offer must have been incredibly tempting given his initial lack of success in front of goal.
But Hasenhuttl took what may have appeared to some – including to some at his own club – to be a gamble by insisting that Adams needed to stay.
That gamble is now paying off in some style.