Leeds United free up wages to seal Deadline-Day move for Connor Roberts – Phil Hay
Phil Hay has reported that January exits for Luke Ayling, Leo Hjelde, Djed Spence and Jack Jenkins allowed Leeds United to free up wages ahead of a deadline-day deal for Connor Roberts.
The Athletic journalist clarified that, while Jenkins and Hjelde wouldn’t have been on big-money deals, Spence and Ayling’s departures would have enabled the club to do the deal for Robers before the deadline at 11pm.
Ayling specifically, having spent a long time at Elland Road, would likely have been on a high wage, while a percentage of Spence’s Tottenham wage would also have made a dent in Leeds’ budget.
Speaking to The Square Ball podcast [1 February], Hay shared: “Jenkins and Hjelde, Hjelde wouldn’t have been on tiny money, but Hjelde and Jenkins are not going to clear the way for you to sign somebody from the Premier League. Spence was different, Ayling will have been on a good wage as well, having been at Leeds for a while.
“It does definitely free some [wages] up, which is why if they were to do Connor Roberts today, they’re able to do that because there is some flexibility and room on the wage bill.”
Outgoing deals are necessary
Particularly since their relegation from the Premier League, cutting the wage bill and letting players leave the club this month have proved vital to allow incoming deals to go through, with deals like the one for Robers likely to be on big money.
Even loan deals from the Premier League are expensive to do, with most clubs in the top division demanding a percentage of their players’ wages are paid while they are out on loan to offset their own wage bills.
Those departures, while they initially left Leeds short, particularly at right-back, have proved necessary for refreshing the squad ahead of the late push for promotion led by Daniel Farke.
A large turnover of players has taken place at Elland Road since Leeds were relegated in the summer with players on high wages removed from the wage bill, but more was required due to financial restrictions to allow the Roberts deal in particular to take place.
In other Leeds United news, a deadline-day deal could now be off.
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