Three clubs, no move: the price tag stalling Ayase Ueda

€35m, and half of it

Feyenoord have put a high price on Ayase Ueda. Several reports put the asking figure at around €35m — roughly ¥6.5bn in the Japanese coverage. FootballTransfers, which models transfer values, estimates Ueda at €17.3m, and even the top of its range, €21.7m, is about half of what Feyenoord want. The site lists Ueda as a 27-year-old poacher and records that Feyenoord paid Cercle Brugge about €8m for him in 2023. Wanting roughly four times the buy price, that gap explains almost by itself why a summer of "Premier League clubs want Ueda" stories has produced no move.

Who is still in, and who stepped back

In Japan the story has been told as a "battle" for Ueda. Per Chunichi Sports, three Premier League clubs — Brighton, Leeds and Everton — are chasing him, with Everton a step ahead. Everton are reported to be weighing an offer of around €23m, roughly the midpoint between the asking price and the model value. An Everton outlet, citing transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, said Ueda was edging toward a Feyenoord exit. Brighton, too, have sent scouts to watch him over recent seasons. A Dutch transfer outlet has reported that around €15m could be enough — meaning buyers are clustered well below Feyenoord's figure.

But interest is not a deal. Leeds, per some reports, have cooled, judging Ueda not worth the asking price. Buyer-side assessments have called €35m too high and "a mistake to avoid" (Football Tribe), pairing the caution over the fee with doubt about whether his Eredivisie scoring would carry to the Premier League. The talks are less advanced than the word "battle" suggests.

Why Feyenoord are holding the line

The seller has reasons to stay firm. Ueda's contract runs to June 2028. The player they bought for about €8m was the Eredivisie's top scorer last season with 25 goals, and he has 16 goals in 38 caps for Japan. With no need to sell in a hurry, Feyenoord have little reason to drop their number — and if a striker-hunting club grows anxious near the deadline, the price could rise rather than fall.

What Ueda actually needs

That Ueda wants a step up has been reported before. But the move will not be decided by three clubs being interested. It will be decided by one of them actually meeting Feyenoord's price. Everton's reported €23m is still short of that line. As of now, no club has made an offer that reaches Feyenoord's asking figure.