Real Valladolid has accused Premier League giants Manchester City of tapping up 18-year-old defender Abdulai Juma Bah, claiming the player breached his contract.
The Spanish club said Manchester City reached out to open negotiations for the Sierra Leonean centre-back, who subsequently expressed his intent to terminate his contract with Valladolid.
According to the club, Juma paid his six-million-euro release clause to the Spanish football federation after skipping training on Wednesday.
Valladolid believes that Manchester City, part of the City Football Group, influenced Juma’s decision to take this step.
The Spanish club stated they had rejected higher offers from other teams and claimed that Juma had refused to sign a new contract, which would have resulted in an automatic increase in his termination clause.
Valladolid has warned of potential legal action to protect its rights and interests. Manchester City has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Abdulai Juma Bah, who joined Valladolid on loan from AIK Freetown last summer, made 12 appearances for the first team before the club made his transfer permanent in January.
