Real Valladolid youngster Juma Bah has informed his club that he intends to waive his exit clause to join Manchester City. He exercised his unilateral right to terminate his contract, settling the €6 million clause, after negotiations aimed at avoiding a forced departure failed. Enough to enrage his club.
Would the long-awaited transfer, which was to mark a turning point for Real Valladolid by establishing a new record for the club, be in danger? The player concerned, Juma Bah, could soon lift his departure clause, which would be much lower than what his managers hoped to collect in the context of a transfer, to sign for Manchester City.
The club holds the player responsible for “non-compliance with his contractual commitments” and has asked “its legal department to take disciplinary measures in this regard”. “The player has decided not to show up at his workplace for morning training,” announces Valladolid in a long press release, after specifying that Juma Bah and his agent informed management on Tuesday “of their intention to break up unilaterally the contract which unites the two parties.
Talks to finalize Bah's move to Pep Guardiola's side have intensified in recent hours, but quickly failed to reach an agreement satisfactory to both parties. The amount of the departure clause, set at 6 million euros, was linked to the status of the player, who was registered with the youth team. This amount would have been much higher if he had been considered a first team or reserve player (12 or 30 million euros). City should finally bring in Juma Bah for next to nothing.
Valladolid also accuses the Skyblues of having pushed Juma Bah and his agent to act in this way after the rejection of several offers initially presented. “The player's intention caused great disappointment and indignation within the club, which welcomed him with open arms and offered him the chance of a lifetime,” laments the management in its press release.
-Bad operation for the club, especially since the latter is going through a difficult period. After a long period without reinforcements during this winter transfer window, Valladolid, already bottom of La Liga, is seeing its difficulties worsen. Another blow came when Raúl Moro, the club's star striker, was injured, adding further uncertainty to an already complicated season. The transfer of Juma Bah, supposed to bring a necessary financial boost, is now also in uncertainty.
A sum well below expectations
Initially, Valladolid management hoped that Bah, on his way to Manchester City, would generate a record transfer, possibly exceeding the 13 million euros obtained for Mohammed Salisu in 2020, or even beyond. But this deal could fail to reach these ambitious numbers. Bah's release clause, until now seen as a potential source of significant profits for the club, should ultimately be limited to 6 million euros, well below expectations.
The matter is further complicated with the possible obligation for Bah's agents to pay this amount directly to La Liga. Furthermore, recent discussions have revealed that Valladolid could settle for an amount close to €8 million, in order to avoid additional taxes, a situation which stands in stark contrast to the club's initial ambitions.
Faced with this situation, Valladolid tried to convince the player to sign a new contract, but the latter's agent reportedly refused to extend the deal, thus leaving the door open for his imminent departure to Manchester City. Valladolid are still expected to make a profit on the deal, having acquired the player for a modest fee of 200,000 euros, on top of his relatively low salary as a member of the reserve team. But, the club informs that it reserves the right to “apply to the appropriate judicial and sporting courts to exercise its rights and defend its interests”.
