A wrap up of all of the latest Leeds United headlines this morning
Here are your morning Leeds United headlines on Friday, August 18.
Darragh MacAnthony says whoever agreed Leeds United loan clauses should never work in football again
Peterborough United owner Darragh MacAnthony has poured scorn on whoever was responsible for permitting relegation loan clauses to be inserted into so many Whites players’ contracts, leaving the club facing an uphill battle in the transfer market this summer.
Speaking on his podcast The Hard Truth, MacAnthony said: “Whoever put a [bleep] loan clause in for relegation needs to be lined up, shot, and never allowed to work in football again. I don’t know who did those deals – the guy that was there before? I’m sure it’s not the current ownership.
“The idea that…yes, [I understand] a relegation [transfer] clause, you sign a premium young player from Europe, their agent is going to go ‘well Leeds are going to go down, if Leeds go down, £25m’, so [Leeds] get their money back and a profit.
“But to allow a clause that states that said player can go out on loan if his wages are paid for the season, where you get none of your fee back…the player can go on loan, have a [bleep] season wherever they go on loan and then completely lose their value – and worse than that, your team is weakened.
“I feel sorry for the people that have now taken over fully that that’s happened, and I feel sorry for the manager, because they’ve lost some [bleep] key players, they’re going to continue to lose players – they lost Harrison last week, one of the strikers doesn’t want to play – and the worst part is they haven’t really done any business.
“So I don’t know if it’s going to be like lastminute.com where you’re going to see Leeds sign five or six players. I’ve said this before, they are a [bleep] gigantic club. I think they’re under good new ownership, I think they’re going to be fine, I do think they’re going to get back to the Premier League in the next two years.
“But they need to put their foot down on bringing in players to help Daniel Farke, and that needs to happen from tomorrow onwards with two weeks left in the window, so that late in the window they haven’t got issues with it, and they need to learn that never again do you ever agree to put a loan clause in.
“Sell clause, fine for relegation, but a loan close…[bleep] move on to another player. So that was just bad business from the previous hierarchy, allowing that to happen, and I feel for the Leeds fans.”
Leeds United squad revealed to face West Brom with Daniel Farke’s side down to bare bones
Daniel Farke’s selection woes have shown no sign of improving this week with Leeds United down to the bare bones once again. The Whites take on a West Brom side who are many people’s outsiders for a play-off spot this season.
Former Leeds United assistant coach Carlos Corberan will bring his Baggies side to Elland Road, looking for a big three points in their quest for promotion. Farke will be without Helder Costa, Willy Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra – all of whom are training away from the first-team squad having been linked with moves away from the club.
Leeds are yet to bring in any further additions following the loan signing of Joe Rodon last week. The Wales international was named among the substitutes in the defeat to Birmingham City having missed out on pre-season with parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
Both he and Georginio Rutter have had a full week training with the latter of the duo recovering from an injury. Leeds will be without Tyler Adams, Stuart Dallas, Junior Firpo, Leo Hjelde, Patrick Bamford, Mateo Joseph, Sonny Perkins and Crysencio Summerville through injury.
Leeds United squad to face West Brom : Illan Meslier, Kristoffer Klaesson, Karl Darlow, Cody Drameh, Luke Ayling, Pascal Struijk, Charlie Cresswell, Joe Rodon, Sam Byram, Ethan Ampadu, Sam Greenwood, Darko Gyabi, Lewis Bate, Jamie Shackleton, Archie Gray, Ian Poveda, Dan James, Joe Gelhardt, Georginio Rutter
