Leeds United turned down chance to sign £3m Wigan hotshot Omar Bogle
Grimsby Town say Championship promotion contenders refused to match offer for League Two's top scorer.
Leeds United had the option to sign new Wigan Athletic striker Omar Bogle on deadline day in the January transfer window, according to the forward's former club Grimsby Town. Bogle netted 19 times in League Two this term, prior to scoring twice on his full Wigan Athletic debut against Norwich City.
The 24-year-old completed a £3m (The Guardian) move to the DW Stadium on the final day of trading in January after an impressive two seasons at Blundell Park. Since beginning his career in the youth teams at West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Celtic, the former England C international applied his trade in non-league football before winning a move to the Mariners in 2015.
Bogle's career has since gone from strength to strength leading to his move to the Championship and a double on his first start for Wigan, marking his remarkable recent rise in the game. But Bogle's career could have taken an even bigger leap last month, had Leeds opted to better the offer originally submitted by the Latics.
Grimsby director John Fenty said, according to The Grimsby Telegraph: "We thought it was a no-brainer to bring Omar into the club back in 2015 and give him the chance to step up from the National League North. The football club and the board of directors always saw serious, serious potential in him.
"There was another club, which I now don't mind revealing as Leeds United, who were tracking the interest in Omar and they had an opportunity, at the last minute on deadline day, to come in and pip what was being offered by Wigan. They weren't prepared to do that and so that gives me the feeling that the deal we settled on with Wigan was of a good– and fair – value for a player of Omar's calibre and future potential."
The decision not to bid for Bogle is particularly curious given how Leeds boss Garry Monk was actively searching for a striker to take the onus off top scorer Chris Wood, who has netted 18 times in the Championship this season. Monk did attempt to lure West Ham United youngster Ashley Fletcher to Elland Road but the deal was thwarted after the Hammers withdrew from attempts to sign Scott Hogan from Brentford.
"We go with what we have and I'm very confident in this group," Monk said at the end of the January window, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. "We've been finding ways all season to cope with situations. The most important thing when the window opened was that we came out of it stronger than when we went in and we've done that."
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