Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips will leave Leeds if relegated – David Anderson
Leeds will be forced to sell Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips will likely leave in the summer if they are relegated, according to The Mirror.
The Whites sacked Marcelo Bielsa on Sunday after a run of nine defeats in 12 games, which has seen them drop to 16th in the table just two points above the relegation zone.
American coach Jesse Marsch has been brought in as his replacement, signing a deal until 2025, with his first task to keep the club in the Premier League at all costs.
But according to The Mirror’s David Anderson, survival is also absolutely necessary for the club to keep hold of their best players.
His report states that Leeds will be ‘forced to cash in’ on the Brazilian winger if they go down considering the level of interest and financial hit they’d take. He also believes that Phillips would leave despite being a Leeds boy because his World Cup place for England would come under threat.
Inevitable
It seems inevitable that the Whites will lose their best players at some point, simply because they’re good enough to play at a higher level.
But if the club get relegated they lose all leverage they had in negotiations with rival clubs and they would likely lose money on sales.
Nobody could blame the players for leaving, because they’re clearly of Premier League level and deserve more than playing Championship football.
It’ll be part of the reason why the club have opted to make the change that they have in the managerial department at this stage of the season, because Bielsa just wasn’t getting a response from the team anymore.
Leeds fans will be desperate to survive this season and keep hold of their top men for another year at least, so if Marsch can deliver that he will be entering their good books for sure.
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