KUALA LUMPUR: While Selangor announced their recent signing Nooa Laine, it appears that the club might not have been the 22-year-old's first choice.
A WhatsApp conversation, revealed by football agent Kiko Insa, hints at a "bidding war" initiated by another party, believed to be the player's agent.
Insa shared a screenshot of the WhatsApp message on Instagram, indirectly suggesting that Selangor might not have been Nooa's initial preference.
An individual named Andrew Thompson seemed to make a last attempt at communication with Insa, who also serves as an agent for double quadruple M-League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT).
"Hi Kiko, I understand Nooa has also tried to reach out to you. If we don't hear anything back from you in the next four hours, we will assume there's no interest in getting it done, and (he will) continue to sign with Selangor," said Thompson.
Insa posted the conversation with the caption: "We (JDT) are everyone's first choice. Including your new player."
Later, JDT owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim shared Insa's Instastory, asserting, "JDT. always the first choice. Sit down son @RMSELANGOR."
Prior to this, JDT also shared a comment from CEO Alistair Edwards, mentioning that the Southern Tigers had rejected an overseas-based Malaysian footballer due to an unreasonable price.
On Friday, the Red Giants officially announced that the Finnish-Malaysian player would join them for the 2024-2025 M-League season on a one-year loan with the option to buy.
The SJK Seinajoki footballer has featured for both Harimau Malaya and the national Under-22 side.
Nooa's introduction video for Selangor, lasting over a minute, has garnered attention from international media, with one source stating, "Selangor's new signing unveiling video is giving us major I AM PLAYER vibes."