Man City target goes AWOL to force move to Premier League champions as club threatens legal action

Manchester City have been accused of ‘being responsible’ for why a player has refused to report to training at his current club.

Real Valladolid released a stunning statement on Wednesday, accusing the Premier League side of “being behind the player’s decision” to not turn up to training.

Juma Bah is currently contracted to struggling La Liga outfit Real Valladolid, having made 12 league appearances this season.

Valladolid claims that the player and his representatives informed the club that he intended to break the contract. The Spanish side claimed that they were in negotiations regarding the player on Monday before he failed to arrive at training on Tuesday which prompted a lengthy statement on Wednesday.

According to the MEN, City are looking to sign the defender in the January window but would likely loan him out rather than keep him as Pep Guardiola looks to transform his squad after a disappointing first half of the 2024/25 season.

Valladolid released a statement on their official website on Wednesday.

"Abdulai Juma Bah and his agent informed Real Valladolid yesterday afternoon of their intention to unilaterally break the contract that binds both parties,” read the statement.

“Previously, yesterday afternoon, Manchester City sent a statement asking Real Valladolid to open negotiations for the player for a possible permanent transfer.

“Today, the Sierra Leonean has decided not to show up at his workplace for morning training. For all these reasons, the Club holds the player responsible for the breach of his contractual commitments, and has asked its legal department to initiate disciplinary action in this regard.

Juma Bah refused to train at Real Valladolid (Credit:Getty)

"The Club considers that Manchester City, a member of the City Football Group, is behind the Player's decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route, which puts Real Valladolid in a defenceless position, after having recently rejected financial offers of a higher amount, even more so when the player is in the protected legal period of his youth stage and, in recent days, had refused to sign the player's license with a higher-category Blanquivioleta team, since this would entail an automatic increase in his termination clause.

"The Club warned the three parties about this situation yesterday through different requests, warning them of the possible consequences of their actions.

"Juma Bah arrived at the 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 January 1 so that the central defender's federative rights would 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, who 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 regard, Real Valladolid reports that it reserves the right to resort to the appropriate legal and sporting jurisdictions to exercise its rights and defend its interests."