Leeds United could be forced into sale of first-team stars due to profit and sustainability – Phil Hay
Leeds United could be forced into the sale of several first-team stars at Elland Road should they fail in their promotion ambitions, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist, writing in his article (21 December) shares that the Whites have funding behind them from the 49ers Enterprises but due to Championship clubs being governed by profit and sustainability rules, it limits their losses and also restricts the amount of cash owners can invest.
The Whites could well be forced to sell several stars such as Crycensio Summerville, Pascal Struijk and Illan Meslier should they fail to win promotion to the Premier League, despite Farke putting together a strong squad within those limits after several key exits in the summer.
Such exits will be necessary to ensure they are on the right side of the profit and sustainability rules.
Hay wrote: “It is not that Leeds do not have funding behind them. Substantial finance was pulled together by 49ers Enterprises when it put together its bid to buy the club from Andrea Radrizzani at the end of last season.
“But in the Championship, teams are governed by profit and sustainability (P&S) rules, which limit their losses and also restrict the amount of cash owners can invest.
“Leeds have put together a strong squad within those limits but if they are not promoted this season, they will have little option but to sell key players when it ends. Those exits would be necessary to make sure that they stayed on the right side of P&S.”
Promotion pressure
The Whites face a gruelling promotion challenge in the coming months but that certainly is the nature of the best given the quality they possess, the size of the club, the ambition of the club’s owners and Farke’s managerial qualities and experience at this level.
Right now, Leeds United are on the right track, sitting third in the table currently but a recent dip in form has certainly given Farke plenty of food for thought.
The club are still far off the likes of Leicester City and Ipswich who are setting the standards for the rest to reach but whether Leeds United can reach those lofty heights remains to be seen and can only be down to both of those clubs’ potential upcoming frailties.
Failing to win promotion is totally out of the heads of those at the club which certainly increases the pressure. Leeds United along with Leicester, possess the squads capable of challenging in the Premier League so any failure to achieve those ambitions will be damaging and costly.
Selling key stars in the event of those failures will indeed be necessary but only with Premier League football can the 49ers’ ambitions at Elland Road be quenched. Players like Summerville, Meslier and Struijk have those same ambitions and may be persuaded elsewhere should those aims feel out of reach.
There’s also the small matter of several on-loan stars around Europe and stars currently on the fringes like Patrick Bamford and Willy Gnonto to deal with too. Wow.
In other Leeds United news, media in Italy have slammed Rasmus Kristensen labelling him Roma’s worst-ever signing