Real Valladolid release statement on Manchester City signing as player goes AWOL

Manchester City look set to sign teenage breakout Juma Bah from Real Valladolid, but La Pucela have come out to condemn their move. Rather than agreeing a transfer fee between the two clubs, City will risk a sanction from UEFA in order to get Bah over the line on the cheap.

According to reports in Spain, City and Valladolid were in talks over a move for Bah around €8m, while Fenerbahce and Inter had offered as much as €12m for his services. Bah had joined on loan from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone, but Valladolid exercised a buy clause in a deal totalling €165k. However they still had Bah on a youth contract, and allegedly on the advice of his agent, City will assume a €6m penalty to break his youth contract.

Valladolid have emitted a statement on Wednesday afternoon, noting that Bah did not appear for training on the same day, and that the RFEF have informed them that Bah has desposited the necessary amount to unilaterally terminate his contract. They say that they believe City have advised Bah and his agent to take this course of action, over which they express their disappointment and indignation.

In addition, they threaten legal action against Manchester City in order to defend their interests. La Pucela had exercised their buy clause on the first of January, but believed Bah refused to pen a senior deal on the advice of City, which would have raised his release clause. It is believed that his release clause would have been raised to €12m on a B team contract, and €30m on a senior deal.

Full Statement:

Abdulai Juma Bah and his agent informed Real Valladolid yesterday afternoon of their intention to unilaterally break the contract that unites both parties. Previously, on the same afternoon yesterday, Manchester City sent a statement requesting Real Valladolid to open negotiations for the player for a possible permanent transfer. Today, the Sierra Leonean has decided not to report to his workplace for morning training. For all these reasons, the Club holds the player responsible for failing to comply with his contractual commitments, and has requested its legal department to initiate disciplinary actions in this regard.

The Club considers that behind the player’s decision is Manchester City, belonging to the City Football Group, which appears to have advised the player to adopt this path that places Real Valladolid in a defenseless situation, after having recently rejected financial offers of a higher amount, even more so when the player is in the legally protected period of the youth stage and, who in recent times had refused to sign the professional player license, since this entailed the automatic increase of his termination clause . Yesterday he warned the three parties of this whole situation through different requirements, warning them of the possible consequences of their actions.

Juma Bah arrived at Los Anexos last summer on loan from AIK Freetown. The loan contract with the Sierra Leonean club ended on June 30 of this season and included a clause for Real Valladolid to exercise a purchase option, a clause that the Blanquivioleta entity exercised on the first of January so that the federation rights of the central defender belong to Pucela under a new contract of longer duration, and with better conditions.

The player’s intention, supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent, has caused great disappointment and indignation within Real Valladolid, which welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation has just confirmed that the player has deposited the amount for the unilateral termination of the contract. In this sense, Real Valladolid informs that it reserves the right to go to the appropriate legal and sporting jurisdictions to exercise its rights and defend its interests.