West Bromwich Albion, alongside then League One side Sheffield Wednesday, made strong bids to secure the service of Leeds United ace Darko Gyabi in January.
According to The Athletic, both the Baggies and the Owls made serious attempts to lure the talented teenager away from Elland Road for the second half of last season, but Leeds made a last minute decision to prohibit the youngster from leaving.
Gyabi failed to make an appearance for United from January onwards as they suffered relegation from the Premier League, leaving questions to be asked over why they blocked a potential deal for the youngster to gain experience.
The London-born central midfielder joined Leeds from Manchester City for £5m last summer as part of a swap deal which saw England international Kalvin Phillips go the other way.
Totalling just 157 minutes of first team action for the West Yorkshire outfit, spread over three appearances in the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup respectively, Gyabi now has a serious chance to make his mark in the Championship.
Having excelled for England’s youth set-ups right through from Under-15s to Under-20s, the midfielder has earned strong praise for his leadership qualities.
England Under-19s coach Simon Rusk stated, “He has got real energy.
“Darko lent himself to some leadership roles, he captained the group in one of the games.
“We lost Sammy Braybrooke unfortunately due to a nasty injury earlier in the season, so Darko has stepped up to that well,” added Rusk.
What is next for Darko Gyabi?
Gyabi’s transfer last summer brought attention to his name, but the 19-year-old could now have the opportunity to make people remember it.
The Cityzens do not have any clauses inserted into the youngster’s deal with Leeds, no buy back clause or future sell on fee, which is unusual for the Premier League top dogs when selling their youth talents.
With that being said, United could be in for a sizeable cash windfall in the future should Gyabi begin making his mark next season.
It looks as though the Baggies may have missed out on this one.