RCD Mallorca will not make a formal offer for defender Yussif Saidu. Real Zaragoza has informed the 21-year-old player that he will not leave the club this summer, ending a transfer saga that lasted for months.
The Balearic side, who are fourth in the Segunda División with six points, had planned to submit a written proposal with terms similar to those of Turkish club Göztepe. This included a loan fee of around 500,000 euros and a purchase option of 3.5 million, but they ultimately decided not to proceed. Zaragoza's director general, Guido Baroli, led complex negotiations that finally did not come to fruition with any club.
What offer was Mallorca considering?
The deal RCD Mallorca was considering was a loan with an option to buy, an identical structure to the one proposed by Göztepe. The Turkish club even increased its initial payment to around half a million euros and offered a mandatory purchase clause if Saidu played 15 matches, a condition reduced from the 20 initially demanded by Zaragoza. Although a move to Palma was more attractive for the Ghanaian footballer, Mallorca's management chose not to formalize the offer within the set timeframe.
Saidu, who can play as a defensive midfielder or centre-back, played 31 league matches last season, starting 21 of them. His contract with Zaragoza runs until 2030, which gave his club a strong negotiating position. The player had been on the market since the end of the last campaign and received multiple offers, including an unofficial bid of up to three million euros that Zaragoza rejected early in the summer.
Which other clubs showed interest?
Interest in Yussif Saidu was widespread and crossed borders. Besides Göztepe and Mallorca, clubs such as Turkey's Amed SFK, Austria's Rapid Wien, and several English Championship sides like Stoke City, Leicester City, and Burnley inquired about his situation. There were also enquiries from Germany. Even Almería considered him as a potential replacement for Lopy, but they eventually signed Mikel Vesga. This long list of suitors underscores the potential many see in the young defender.
A factor that may have influenced the caution of some clubs, including Mallorca, was the knee injury Saidu suffered in February. It was an osteitis edema that kept him out for four weeks. He recovered without surgery, using plasma treatment, and returned to competition with no apparent after-effects.
What is RCD Mallorca's current context?
Javier Aguirre's team faces the closing of the transfer window focused on their league performance. With a record of two wins and one loss in their first three games, Mallorca has scored five goals and conceded only two, giving them a +3 goal difference. They are just one point behind leaders Granada CF. Their next fixture is an away trip to face bottom-placed Eldense on September 5th. Fans can follow the squad's development on our squad page and check the full table on standings.
What does this decision mean for the future?
With the Spanish transfer window closing on September 1st and the Turkish one on the 4th, the door for a Saidu move this summer is virtually closed. The player will remain at Real Zaragoza, a club that under new ownership has maintained a firm stance in negotiations. For RCD Mallorca, not signing a central defender means they will rely on the current squad options to maintain their solid start to the season, where defence has been a strong point. The team now focuses on preparing for the match against Eldense, a game featured on our fixtures calendar, where they will seek three points to continue pushing at the top of the table.
