MOT View: Senior player could ‘walk away’ from Leeds before season ends based on lawyer claim
Gaetano Berardi is the only senior Leeds United player whose contract expires on June 30 and there has been little talk about discussions for him to extend his deal.
According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, there have been no signs of talks about extending Berardi’s stay at Elland Road, meaning that it’s likely Leeds’ longest-serving player will be on the lookout for a new club in the summer.
However FIFA proposed earlier this week that contracts will be allowed to be extended until the season ends – whenever that may be.
Leeds have nine matches to play of their bid to win promotion from the Championship but as it stands, there is no end in sight to the current coronavirus-enforced suspension of the Premier League and EFL.
It means that if FIFA can push forward with their proposal, Leeds will have Berardi in their squad until they play that ninth and final game, provided they don’t reach the play-offs.
But FIFA’s proposal has been challenged by lawyer Nick De Marco QC, who claims that if a player’s deal expires on June 30, they have every right to walk away from the club.
“If the players are out of contract then, so far as the law is concerned, they’re no longer employees and they’re free to walk away,” De Marco told Sky Sports. “The real issue is, ‘Do the players walk away or not?’. That will depend on the circumstances of each case.
“If the transfer window is closed, they may walk away and not be able to find another club. Now they may have a legal claim in those circumstances, or they may just have to wait two or three months. They might prefer that, to signing a contract that stops them making the next move. What individual players will do will depend on each player and each club.”
Unless Leeds agree a new deal with Berardi between now and June 30, there is every chance that the one-time Switzerland international can walk away from Elland Road for good.
However, as pointed out by De Marco, it could be that Berardi struggles to find a new club as transfer windows might not be open in other countries by then.
Leeds’ best option might be to get the defender tied down to a rolling contract on a monthly basis, just to ensure they have him until the season is finished.
In other Leeds United news, this is what will happen to Leeds’ agreement with Adidas that was due to start in the summer.