Serie A player missing! Lecce hunt for Banda goes on after 2 weeks | OneFootball

Lameck Banda of US Lecce is currently missing. In recent weeks, the club officials have unsuccessfully tried to get in touch with the winger.

The 25-year-old was absent both from the mandatory performance tests and from the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria. Banda was last seen on July 23 at Lusaka airport, where he appeared ready to fly back to Italy.

Lecce sporting director Stefano Trinchera responded on Thursday with a deeply concerning statement. 

"We have now had no news from Banda for two weeks, nor have his agents. We are all starting to worry that something may have happened that has nothing to do with football. According to our information, the club that wanted to sign him has already moved on and made offers for other players with the same profile – so they no longer intend to bring him in. I am slowly coming around to the idea that there is no strategy behind this matter to get who knows what out of Lecce, but that there may instead be personal problems. Unfortunately, we too have started thinking in that direction, because what is happening here is something very unusual.”

After Banda had the best season of his career last season, recording nine goal contributions in 32 appearances and thereby helping Lecce avoid relegation from Serie A, there were signs of a move to Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal is said to have already expressed interest in signing him in June.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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