Bournemouth have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Leeds United defensive midfielder Tyler Adams due to a release clause saga.
The 24-year-old had a time-limited £20 million relegation clause when he penned a long-term agreement with the Yorkshire club last summer.
Reports from The Athletic claim Bournemouth are convinced they activated the clause when they lodged an official £20m bid for the midfielder on Monday.
However, the assertion from Leeds is that the clause was never triggered and has since expired, meaning the Cherries will have to restart negotiations to land his signature.
Bournemouth had not reached an agreement with Adams on personal terms, so a deal was never close to being finalised.
The Cherries retain an interest in the United States international, so it remains to be seen if they will re-open negotiations with Leeds to finally get a deal over the line.
Adams was previously close to joining Chelsea, who had triggered his relegation clause and was already undergoing medical examinations.
However, the Blues reneged on their agreement with the player in favour of completing a double swoop for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Adams is still expected to leave Elland Road this summer and has plenty of admirers from the Premier League.
However, with the relegation clause no longer in place, it is increasingly likely that prospective suitors will need to do better than £20m to convince Leeds to sell.
Adams was hugely impressive for Leeds last season, making 26 appearances in all competitions last season, as the Whites were relegated from the Premier League.
He is yet to play a single minute of second-tier football this season due to a hamstring injury and has watched his side fail to win any of their opening two Championship games.
If a suitable proposal arrives before the transfer window closes, he may have played his last game for Leeds, despite having four years left to run on his contract.
