Premier League Leicester City have signed Bury youngster Callum Hulme according to Sky Sports (Live blog, 9/8/19 8:33)
The report claims the Foxes have paid a fee of £100,000 to the troubled League One outfit for a player they have been linked with for much of the summer.
The eighteen-year-old came through Manchester City’s academy but never signed a professional contract at the Etihad. He completed his scholarship at Bury and broke through last season, making his senior EFL debut in the Shakers 4-0 defeat of Grimsby in September. The midfielder went on to make three further appearances including an outing against Leicester Under-23s in the EFL Trophy.
The money will certainly be welcome at Gigg Lane with the club in severe financial trouble. The Shakers are currently involved in a hotly contested dispute between the EFL and controversial owner Steve Dale which threatens its very existence.
Their opening two league fixtures and their first-round Carabao Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday have all been postponed, and they have a fortnight to satisfy the EFL they have the necessary finances in place to complete the season or face expulsion from the league.
Our View
An interesting deal this one, reports suggested a potential fee of £500,000 when the Foxes interest first emerged.
Could it be that a Premier League club, awash with cash after selling a defender for £80 million, has used the financial predicament of the selling club to its advantage and negotiate a cut-price deal for a youngster to play in their Under-23 team?
Purely speculation but you do wonder, don’t you?
Shame on you Leicester City. The vulchars are circling
Wow really, you think £500’000 for a kid that has barely played for a struggling league 1 side is correct? I’d suggest that if they were actually being vultures they would wait until bury went bust and got him for nothing, instead they have paid a decent fee for a player that more than likely will be lost by the wayside to help out a struggling club
If Leicester had offered half a million for the lad at any time we would have snapped there hands,arms and legs off,it’s all pure conjecture