Only reduced to a year is pants but better than 16 months. Was hoping it would be reduced to 8 months so he can be available for pre-season.
Confirmed by his club with no joint statement. Might mean we’re not interested in signing him anymore? November 3, 2025 ban is up. https://x.com/LDU_Oficial/status/1915445381539807336
Providing we stay in the championship, I’d definitely buy him, what a player to have from Christmas onwards…
Just heard on the radio that once his ban is up the club will decide if they want to trigger the buy clause or not. So that gives us time to see what league we are in and how we are doing by then. This was said by one of the members of the legal team that were part of the appeal. He then went on to say that they reduced the ban to 12 months as it is the time given to accidental doping cases without recreational or performance enhancing drugs involved.
If it was reduced to July I’d want us to sign him but not if he’s missing the first three months of the season. It’s still a decent bit of money to spend and we’ve just spent a lot by activating Puerta’s clause. We also have no major asset to sell like we did with Greaves and Lewis-Potter in the last two summers. If we sign Zambrano, it still means we probably have to sign another defensive midfielder until then to provide competition for Alzate. These things all add up and it could affect our ability to spend elsewhere. I’d just move on and look at other targets. He’s a talented player but we can’t afford to be fart-arsing about after the shocking season we’ve just had.
How would that work exactly? I was under the impression optional but-clauses have deadlines and his loan is until June 30th. Can we still activate his buy clause after his loan has ended and sign him next January?
I reckon Acun will buy him whatever division we are in, if he doesn't he won't be able to make a profit on a young player who's value will definitely increase post his ban.
Just reporting what the man said on radio. I assume that the club will decide before that as the window would be closed.
I think he absolutely is worth the risk SW3... I remember that podcast where they discussed him and mentioned him in the same breath as Caicedo... whether he is not?.. this is definitely a financial consideration.
