Sam Greenwood increasingly likely to make ‘good value’ permanent Leeds United exit to Middlesbrough – Phil Hay
Sam Greenwood’s permanent Leeds United exit to Middlesbrough is assumed to be increasingly likely to happen amid his “really good run of form”, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist told the Square Ball podcast on 13 November that the £1.5million option in the attacker’s loan deal was beginning to represent “pretty good value” and if he keeps up his current form is in line to be triggered.
After making one, brief substitute appearance for the Whites before the transfer window closed Greenwood has now played 11 times under Michael Carrick and following his winning free kick against Leicester at the weekend has now scored four in his last six Championship games.
Hay said (13m 24s): “Greenwood’s having a really good run of form at the moment… Boro have an option to take him for £1.5m which is starting to look like pretty good value.
“You would assume that if this carries on much longer, he’s got four goals in six, that that will happen.”
Moving on
For such a low price it seems almost certain that Middlesbrough will take up the option to retain Greenwood back in the North-East.
Big things were expected of him at Elland Road after his move from Arsenal but despite showing flashes of quality in West Yorkshire he never got a sustained run in the side.
That he reached a crucial point in his career just as the Whites were going through an increasingly chaotic period in the top flight no doubt contributed to disrupting his chances to develop.
Despite nominally being an attacking midfielder or an auxiliary forward he was pressed into action as a deep-lying midfielder at times during the doomed relegation battle last season.
Since he turns 22 in January and is unlikely to be any closer to regular starts for Leeds United if he did return at the end of the season it is probably in his best interests to make a permanent exit.
Leeds United might now feel they undersold themselves with the permanent option fee in his deal, especially as he continues to emerge as a key man at the Riverside, but either way that ship has probably now sailed.
In other Leeds United news, another talented youngster is now expected to push to leave the club in January after his “development has been hampered”.