Lameck Banda, a winger for US Lecce, has been missing for several weeks. Club officials have made multiple attempts to contact him but have not succeeded.
The 25-year-old was notably absent from both mandatory performance evaluations and the team’s pre-season training camp in Austria. His last known location was Lusaka Airport on July 23, where he appeared to be preparing for a flight back to Italy.
On Thursday, Stefano Trinchera, the sporting director of Lecce, expressed great concern over the situation.
“We haven’t had any contact from Banda for the last two weeks, nor have his agents. We’re increasingly worried that something may have gone wrong that is unrelated to football. From what we understand, the club that was interested in signing him has moved on and is pursuing other players with similar profiles, so they are no longer considering him. I gradually find myself thinking that there might be personal issues at play rather than a strategic move for leverage against Lecce. This is certainly an unusual situation,” he said.
Following a standout season where he contributed nine goals in 32 matches, helping Lecce avoid relegation from Serie A, there were indications of a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal reportedly showed interest in him as early as June.
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