Tabzz leaves Alliance, replacement by Rekkles possible

Martin "Rekkles" Larsson, currently of Fnatic, might be Tabzz's new replacement in Alliance

Dutch AD carry Erik "Tabzz" van Helvert announced on Twitter today that he's officially a free agent having left the roster of Alliance. While no replacement has been confirmed by the organization, various sources point to Martin "Rekkles" Larsson, currently of Fnatic.

The first chapter of the Tabzz versus Rekkles story for who'll spearhead Alliance's botlane began on October 20th when the Daily Dot reported that the latter has been in talks with the greyshirts to take Tabzz's position. With Rekkles bound with a two-year contract with Fnatic until 2015, however, the transfer couldn't be a simple one and a buyout would have to be paid if the young Swede was to leave Fnatic.

 

For those over in the @reddit thread: @FnaticRekkles is contracted throughout the 2015 season! #BREATHE

— FNATIC (@FNATIC) October 19, 2014

 

That Rekkles had had talks with Alliance was confirmed by sources close to both teams, as they indicate that both Larsson and Alliance have expressed interest in working together. A Fnatic source told Daily Dot that:

[Rekkles] already had talks with the Alliance players about possibly joining. It’s not an easy decision for him but he definitely wants to win things and feels that Alliance represent his best chance of doing that. He’s hungry for success.”

The story developed three days later as on October 23rd it was revealed just how high the buyout price for Rekkles' departure is, namely $15,000. Once again, all of Fnatic, Alliance and Rekkles remained silent about whether the transaction had been initiated. Further sources said that Rekkles has "had enough" of working with Fnatic and has been prepared to pay the buyout himself if that would allow him to don the grey of the LCS EU Summer champions. What's more, Rekkles' social media pages no longer described him as a marksman of Fnatic, a clue towards a possible conflict between Larsson and his team-mates.

Another hint about the transfer most likely taking place was Tabzz's tweet from today, saying he's no longer a member of Alliance and what could be the final notification before the move is signed in ink.

 

I'm now officially a free agent and am looking to explore opportunities. Contact me through Skype, DM or email at [email protected].

— Erik van Helvert (@TabzzLoL) October 24, 2014