Jack Harrison back in England as reason emerges for Leeds United exit delay
Leeds United have sanctioned Jack Harrison’s move to Fiorentina, but there has been a delay in the deal being officially announced.
Harrison has agreed to join Fiorentina on loan, with the Italian side possessing the option to purchase the Leeds winger for £6m.
After making just one Premier League start this season, Harrison had the chance to prove to Daniel Farke why he should remain in his plans when Leeds took on Derby in the FA Cup on 11 January.
However, Harrison was underwhelming against Derby despite his team running out 3-1 winners, and that performance appears to have sealed his Elland Road fate, if it wasn’t already.
The Whites may have already found his replacement too, as Napoli’s Noa Lang has been linked with a move to Leeds in the wake of Harrison’s impending exit.
Jack Harrison won’t make Fiorentina debut this weekend
Despite Harrison’s move to Fiorentina described as being a ‘done deal’, the 29-year-old won’t have the chance to wear their famous purple colours this weekend.
Fiorentina take on Bologna in Serie A on Sunday, with Paolo Vanoli’s side sitting three points inside of the relegation zone in the Italian top flight.
There had been much optimism from both camps that the transfer would’ve been completed in time for him to be available to play on Sunday, but with Harrison now back in England, that won’t be the case.
As reported by Firenze Viola, Harrison has been forced to return back to England for “visa-related reasons”, delaying his move to the Florence-based club.
However, they do still report that official confirmation of the deal being done is just hours away, with this one last loose end to tie up before he can link up with his new teammates.
- Read more: Joel Piroe source shares Leeds exit certainty as Martin O’Neill holds crunch Celtic talks
Will Harrison get sufficient gametime at Fiorentina?
It’s been clear throughout this season that Harrison needs a fresh start away from Leeds, with the winger not featuring in Farke’s plans even before his switch to a back three.
So, will he get the gametime he’s seeking at Fiorentina, or will he just be making up the numbers for the relegation-threatened side?
- Harrison has made 13 total appearances for Leeds this season
- He’s failed to provide a single goal contribution
- He only scored one goal in 38 games on loan at Everton in 2024-25
Having started the season largely deploying a 3-5-2 formation, Vanoli has now switched to a 4-3-3 over the last handful of matches, which has seen them lose just once in their last five.
His best chance for a starting role could be on the right, as current starter Fabiano Parisi has only been able to register one assist and zero goals in 12 Serie A games this term.
On the left, Albert Gudmundsson has been more productive, netting four goals and registering two assists in 18 league outings.
Therefore, Harrison should have a solid chance of ousting Parisi in the starting XI.
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