Lecce's Bid for Hapoel Tel Aviv's Satu Toriel Sparks Concern Ahead of Conference League Clash

Lecce's official offer for Hapoel Tel Aviv midfielder Satu Toriel, revealed on Monday, has raised significant concerns within Hapoel ahead of their Conference League playoff second leg against Atalanta in Hungary. Representatives from Lecce reportedly visited Bergamo last Thursday, before the first leg against Atalanta, to scout Toriel, but he was sidelined due to injury and did not feature in the match. Lecce submitted several improved offers to Hapoel, eventually reaching 2 million euros plus an additional 500,000 euros in bonuses. Although the Italian club seemed willing to offer more, Hapoel firmly declined to release the player.

Toriel was eager to join Lecce immediately, especially since the Italian club offered him a salary more than double his current earnings at Hapoel, even after recent raises. However, Hapoel CEO Guy Primor rejected the offer, emphasizing the club's intention to keep Toriel as a key player. Since joining from M.S. Ashdod, Toriel has received two salary increases, the latest making him Hapoel's highest-paid player at 350,000 euros annually and removing his release clause. The club feared that rejecting Lecce's bid might cause a conflict with Toriel but stressed their reliance on him for the team's core.

Hapoel management also noted that the offered sums, which might have previously prompted Israeli clubs to sell star players, did not impress owner Edmond Safra, especially without a release clause, the transfer window nearing its end, and a lack of suitable replacements. They compared Toriel's value to other transfers, questioning the logic of selling him for less than other Israeli players' fees. Toriel is set to travel with the team to Hungary for the second leg, expected to be fit and possibly starting alongside teammates Emmanuel Boateng and Marcus Coco. Around 6,000 Hapoel fans will attend the match, joined by approximately 4,000 Hungarian supporters and about 1,000 Atalanta fans.