Manchester City have been threatened with legal action after being accused by Real Valladolid of tapping up teenage defender Juma Bah.

The Spanish club – currently bottom of La Liga – have expressed their “great disappointment and indignation” at what they claim to be City’s attempts to encourage the 18-year-old, from Sierra Leone, to break his contract with them.

Valladolid claim they exercised a purchase option on Bah on Jan 1, having initially loaned the 6ft 5in centre-back from AIK Freetong in Sierra Leone last summer.

They claim City have been behind Bah’s subsequent attempts to leave and revealed that the Spanish Football Federation had confirmed on Wednesday that the defender – who did not appear for training – had “deposited the amount for the unilateral termination of the contract”.

“In this regard, Real Valladolid reports that it reserves the right to resort to the appropriate legal and sporting jurisdictions to exercise its rights and defend its interests,” Valladolid said in a statement released on their official website.

Telegraph Sport has approached City for comment. Valladolid refused to conceal their fury over the situation in a 362-word statement in which they laid the blame squarely at the door of City and Bah’s agent.

“Abdulai Juma Bah and his agent informed Real Valladolid yesterday afternoon of their intention to unilaterally break the contract that binds both parties,” Valladolid said. “Previously, yesterday afternoon, Manchester City sent a statement asking Real Valladolid to open negotiations for the player for a possible permanent transfer.

“Today, the Sierra Leonean has decided not to show up at his workplace for morning training. For all these reasons, the club holds the player responsible for the breach of his contractual commitments, and has asked its legal department to initiate disciplinary action in this regard.

“The club considers that Manchester City, a member of the City Football Group, is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route, which puts Real Valladolid in a defenceless position, after having recently rejected financial offers of a higher amount, even more so when the player is in the protected legal period of his youth stage and, in recent days, had refused to sign the player’s licence with a higher-category Blanquivioleta team, since this would entail an automatic increase in his termination clause.”

Valladolid said they had warned City, the player and his representatives on Tuesday that they could pursue legal action if necessary.

“The club warned the three parties about this situation yesterday through different requests, warning them of the possible consequences of their actions,” the club said.

“Juma Bah arrived at the Anexos last summer on loan from AIK Freetown. The loan contract with the Sierra Leonean club ended on June 30 of this season and included a clause for Real Valladolid to exercise a purchase option, a clause that the Blanquivioleta entity exercised on Jan 1 so that the central defender’s federative rights would belong to Pucela [Valladolid] under a new contract of longer duration, and with better conditions.

“The player’s intention, supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent, has caused great disappointment and indignation within Real Valladolid, who welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.”

From family bakery to one of Europe’s hottest properties – the teenager at centre of Man City row

Juma Bah’s journey to becoming one of the most sought-after teenager’s in European football started with 4am wake-up calls as he helped the family baking business in Sierra Leone.

It has been a remarkable, meteoric rise, for the 18-year-old centre-back who was playing for AIK Freetong in his homeland until the start of the season when Valladolid moved for him.

Not so long ago he was playing football on the dirtfields of Freetown. As his club describe on their official website, he could “easily be the protagonist of a Netflix series” such was the start of his career.

“In my country I got up at four in the morning to help my father, Abdul Karim, who is a baker, collect wood for the oven,” he said. “I started playing barefoot in the street with my friends and then on dirt pitches until I reached the Premier League in my country. Real Valladolid noticed me and signed me.”

‘I want to prove dreams do come true’

Full name Abdulai Juma Bah, he has been targeted by Manchester City leaving Valladolid not happy about his head being turned. The Sierra Leonean wants to cancel his contract and did not train earlier in the week.

When he arrived at Valladolid he was billeted in their academy and six days after playing for club reserves, he was called up for the seniors by Paulo Pezzolano, who was manager until he was sacked last November.

While playing La Liga, he has a contingent of fans back in Sierra Leone watching his matches on TV. “Especially my mother, Umu. They are very happy for me, they can’t believe it, and they pray every day for everything to go well,” he said, when asked about his support.

“When I saw my name on the board [for my debut] my heart raced. All my team-mates and the coaching staff insisted that I just do what I do in training, that I stay calm and enjoy myself. The support from the fans was amazing, hearing them sing the anthem, the way the stadium sounded, how they said my name… It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”

Since breaking into the team he has since started seven of the past eight La Liga matches, which alerted Premier League clubs to his talent.

“I have humility and work, and I am clear that I want to return the affection of the fans and the trust of the coach,” Bah said. “Work, dream, be humble. And prove again in each chapter that dreams come true.”