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Leeds United: 49ers Enterprises have surely lost the plot as Phil Hay shares multi-million Sam Greenwood update
Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises have surely lost the plot at Elland Road as Sam Greenwood could well be departing the club for just £1.5m.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay reported on Friday (17 November) that Middlesbrough are “highly likely” to trigger a £1.5million option-to-buy clause in their loan deal for the Thorp Arch academy graduate.
It’s believed that Daniel Farke was happy to send the 21-year-old midfielder out on loan this season for which Greenwood has excelled so far and Hay admits that there’s a high likelihood that Boro make his stay permanent at the end of the season.
Last August, he signed a new contract until 2026 but that was under Jesse Marsch, who saw a midfield role for Greenwood.
But since then, he’s had limited chances in West Yorkshire which ultimately led to his decision to go out on loan and the £1.5m reported clause in his contract which Middlesbrough can trigger should they wish to, means the Whites are certainly open to his exit.
However, it certainly comes at a cost for Leeds and the 49ers who have the ambition of making the Whites a £1billion football club [The Athletic].
Providing the room and space for young talents to mature, develop and shine at Elland Road before selling for considerable profit goes a long way to achieving that ambition.
What message does it send to fans that they are willing to sell a player who hasn’t been granted the opportunity to flourish and set his own path at Elland Road, for just a meagre £1.5m?
First and foremost, Greenwood is a highly-rated commodity at Elland Road and arguably one of their most gifted academy products and while a loan move was always on the horizon for him given his lack of opportunities, it should have been expected that he’d best set for a first-team role upon his return.
That now looks like a strong uncertainty with that incredibly small exit clause.
Middlesbrough have done incredibly well to negotiate such a small fee for a player who could well cost around £30m-plus in the future should he develop even further.
It certainly makes fans wonder why would Leeds United want to throw away such a marketable and gifted talent so easily.
Also, Greenwood still has three years left on his deal which makes the £1.5m demand even more ridiculous and not exactly good business from the Whites at all. The 49ers have lost the plot, surely.
Leeds United are supposed to be cherishing their best young talents right now, especially with the lure of Premier League football potentially on the horizon again and selling such a prized asset to a promotion rival too really stinks of ineptitude within the boardroom.
It all seems to suggest that he is not as highly regarded by Daniel Farke as he was with Marsch or Bielsa and the Whites could now be staring down the barrel of another unfortunate, surprise and costly academy exit at Elland Road.
Disappointing.
In other Leeds news, Farke struck pure gold on one summer transfer decision after a development on Friday (17 November)