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Leeds United left-back Ezgjan Alioski has reportedly rejected a new contract at Elland Road in favour of a move to Galatasaray in the summer upon the expiry of his contract.
Nice guy, great personality and has earned himself a great legacy but the cold hard truth is he is not a PL player. Once a LB comes in he's surplus to requirements. I just hope the fans get to give him a proper send off if true.
— Keith Quinn (@Sinnerdine) March 9, 2021
Turkish outlet Milliyet claims that the North Macedonia international is close to an agreement with the Turkish giants at the end of his current contract at Leeds, which expires in July.
The Whites and Galatasaray share a rivalry that goes beyond football as two Leeds fans, Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, were killed during riots before the two sides met in the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000. Since then, there has been a pure hatred between the two sets of fans with Galatasaray becoming one of the two clubs that Leeds fans cannot accept a current or former Leeds player joining.
This view is still shared by some but not all, with others saying that he was not around the club at the time and his decision, though not one that pleases the fans, must be respected.
there's been no agreement with Leeds so far. And given that the club are thinking about left-backs for the summer, he's got a big decision to make. Getting close to 30.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March 9, 2021
Alioski is on his way to Euro 2021 with North Macedonia and was an important role-player in Leeds United’s promotion to The Premier League in 2020, exceeding all expectations of Leeds fans when he first arrived.
So far in The Premier League, Alioski has scored two goals from 25 appearances as well as a goal in The EFL Cup. In Leeds’ promotion-winning season, the 25-year-old scored five goals and assisted five from left-back. The two previous seasons spent in a white shirt, Alioski contributed seven goals and five assists in both campaigns.
However, at this point, Alioski is seen to be a player who has been a great servant to the club since joining back in 2017 but is a player who is ultimately not good enough for The Premier League and beyond.
It has also been well documented in the media that The Whites are looking to sign a new left-back in the summer, with Romain Perraud already mentioned in recent weeks. This could also be an influence on Alioski’s decision.
The Leeds board still offered him a contract as publicly stated but it seems that Alioski has decided to move on from Elland Road after four years of what can only be described as a nutcase.