Brenden Aaronson accepts reduced wages to return to Leeds United after loan escape
Brenden Aaronson will be paid the reduced wage that was on offer last summer when he returns to Leeds United, according to Graham Smyth.
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist reported on the Inside Elland Road podcast (13 June) that the American’s return from his loan at Union Berlin will be on the lower amount caused by the relegation clause in his deal.
Aaronson was one of a host of Whites players who left on loan a year ago thanks to release clauses that were built into their deals as a trade off for the pay cut, but after an unsuccessful year in the Bundesliga will now play in the Championship under Daniel Farke next term.
Smyth said: “Right now you’re not getting £15million for him, I dare say you might not get £10m for him right now, so it makes no sense to sell because you’d be booking a loss, and having not gone up to the Premier League you just can’t afford to book a loss.
“He’s also, and I’ve confirmed this, coming back is basically him taking the wage that was on offer last summer, the wage reduction that was built into his contract, so he’s certainly not getting paid anywhere near what he was paid as a Premier League player.”
Daniel Farke finds place for Leeds United return from Union Berlin
Aaronson returning looks like an admission from both player and club that the past year didn’t play out how they had hoped so they are left to make the best of a bad situation.
The USMNT international clearly backed himself to get better opportunities if he was in a European top flight than in the second tier, and Leeds United accepted there was a greater change his transfer value would increase if they let him go.
As it stands neither has happened, and with the Whites also failing in their primary task of securing promotion back to the Premier League there looks to be little other option than to try to get the best out of the 23-year-old on the pitch.
He will likely have to start producing quickly to get the fans back onside after a widespread perception that those who departed a year ago were escaping a ship they had helped to sink.
But Willy Gnonto’s return to the fold under Farke after trying to push through a move to Everton proved it can be done.
There may not have been many alternatives but it requires some pragmatism from both the manager and the player, which is probably commendable, but none of that will matter if Aaronson can’t adapt to the second tier better than he did the top flight in England.
He is set for a second chance to impress with the club and if he responds like Georginio Rutter did last season it could work out positively.
In other Leeds United news, a long-term contract development has emerged as the Whites hunt a new defender this summer.
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