Real Betis turned down the chance to sign Dorlan Pabon permanently after he spent four months on loan at the Benito Villamarin last term.
Diario de Sevilla has revealed that Los Beticos were offered the chance to sign the Colombian international striker without having to pay the $10 buyout clause in his contract with Mexican club Monterrey.
However, Betis refused to take part in negotiations as they would have had to deal with the investment fund that owns part of the player, despite the fact they would only have had to pay 50 per cent of the total cost of the operation.
In the event, Pabon eventually returned to La Liga with Valencia on the same terms that had been offered to Betis, whose boss Pepe Mel wanted the player and must now be lamenting the fact he missed out as it has been confirmed frontman Ruben Castro will be sidelined for the next four months.
“The player was very happy in Sevilla and would have loved the possibility [to play for Betis again]. The chance to return was on the table,” sources close to Pabon are quoted as saying.
Betis officials are understood to have turned down Pabon’s wage demands, believed to be around €2m-a-year, although Valencia have since insisted his salary is within their own financial parameters, which are similar to those of the Andalusian outfit.