MOT View: Sky Sports update on PL could benefit Leeds in contract talks with senior star
The future of Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi has certainly come under the spotlight since the start of the enforced break.
His current deal at the club is set to run out at the end of June, but with the season expected to continue past that date, there were concerns over the Swiss enforcer’s future.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay confirmed recently that the club didn’t plan to open discussions with Berardi until the season had finished, but that could mean that he wouldn’t be available for the final nine games of the season.
Sky Sports have reported on Monday that the FA have confirmed that Premier League players can have their contracts extended until the rescheduled end of season – something which could help resolve Leeds’ problem with Berardi.
It is unclear whether that applies to the EFL as well, but surely they will follow suit to avoid any sort of potential unrest from any clubs.
This would give Leeds the perfect solution. The Whites could extend Berardi’s deal until the summer, and then decide whether or not to hand him another contract once this whole situation has passed.
Berardi has definitely proved himself this season at the club. There has always been a fear of the defender being unreliable due to his disciplinary record, but he has gone way past that during this campaign.
Time and time again, the Swiss defender has put in a solid performance whenever called upon in Liam Cooper’s absences from the squad.
He has barely put a foot wrong in his 11 appearances, and he could be one of a large group of players to put pen-to-paper on two contracts this summer in England.
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