MOT View: Leeds defender issue may ’cause some friction’ as journalist details alarming update
Leeds United are blessed by the fact that only one senior player’s contract will expire this summer as Gaetano Berardi closes in on the end of his deal.
Berardi, 31, is Leeds’ longest-serving player but he could effectively leave Elland Road before the season ends as his contract expires on June 30 and the currently-suspended Championship campaign might end up running into July.
Most Leeds fans are hopeful that Berardi will stay on until the season ends so that he can help the Whites win promotion to the Premier League.
Although he’s only started 11 Championship matches this season, the one-time Switzerland international is vital for Leeds due to him being Marcelo Bielsa’s third-choice centre-back.
If there are any complications with extending Ben White’s loan or either him or Liam Cooper get hit by a suspension or injury then Berardi will be the man who steps into the United back-line.
But now, Sun journalist Alan Nixon has detailed a worrying update about EFL players who will be out of contract come the end of June.
Nixon reported via his personal Twitter account on Tuesday morning that there is going to be a “massive problem” with EFL clubs – like Leeds – and the players whose contracts expire on June 30.
It is understood that players like Berardi get an extra month’s pay as a severance package but clubs want them to play for them for the same amount of cash.
Nixon adds that the situation is “going to cause some friction”.
Of course, this is bound to depend on the club and the player and could be more pertinent to those teams in League One and League Two who are struggling financially while coronavirus has football on hold.
But there’s no reason why something like that couldn’t happen at Elland Road with a player like Berardi.
We hope that’s not the case and we can see Berardi want to play out the rest of the season for Leeds.
He’s the kind of player you could see doing it for free if he had to but this remains a worrying update and could leave Bielsa with a defensive crisis going into July.
In other Leeds United news, Paul Robinson has blasted this report about Bielsa’s successor at Elland Road.