Selling the ‘Family Silver’

It’s been a busy time at Elland Road this summer, Billy’s had a makeover with thousands of fans names proudly with our famous captain and manager.

The shop has been revamped and another sheriff is about to take the team into the 2018/19 season.

And the squad has seen plenty of changes too, with the club well into double figures the players leaving the squad.

Although most of them won’t be missed, the one that might be a poor sale is Ronaldo Vieira. The twenty year old midfielder is said to be on the verge of a £6million deal that will take him across the waters to Sampdoria in Italy. It’s not the first time that Leeds have sold a promising player, the list is endless.

Admittedly he didn’t have the best 2017/18 season, he struggled with an injury in the early part of last season and never recovered the form of the previous campaign.

Young players can be like that, wonderful one moment and slightly disappointing the next game, but he’s only twenty and has the rest of his career to develop into a top class midfielder. He is well thought of and is established in the youth ranks of England.

In the coming years we could see Ronaldo join Lewis Cook in the senior England squad, two players that cost less than £15million to take from us. In today’s ‘barmy’ transfer market it’s basically giving them away.

The process of selling young players has gone on far too long, admittedly if you buy players you have to balance ‘the books’ but you have to wonder who will be the next out of the Elland Road door.

Tom Pearce has signed an extension to his contract but so did Ronaldo and we all know contracts are worth very little these days. Ryan Edmundson, Jack Clarke, Conor Shaughnessy are all players that have impressed recently and it is hoped that these are developed and not sold on.

Andrea Radrizzani is a business man and around ten million pound will be spent on Barry Douglas and the now confirmed signing of Patrick Bamford from Middlesborough. Surely there must be scope within the clubs plans to keep the talented youth at the place it should be, Elland Road.

This season Leeds will once again try to get out of the Championship or at least challenge to do so. It is a shame that the likes of Vieira won’t be around if the campaign is a success.

Good luck in the future Ronaldo Vieira.

MOT

By Keith Ingham