Leeds Live reporter Keifer MacDonald has identified three Leeds United players who could be sold in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: High wage bill
It was reported last week that Leeds’ wage bill for the 2021/22 season would go past the £100m mark due to their decision to hand out big contracts since returning to the Premier League.
Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo and Raphinha all signed lucrative contracts recently, and alongside the signing of Daniel James from Manchester United, it is expected that the wage bill will increase by £46m from the £78m at which it stood 12 months ago.
With the January transfer window four months away, the Whites are likely to be forced into selling fringe players in order to add any newcomers to their squad.
The Latest: Who to sell
In a report for Leeds Live, MacDonald has named three players as potential options for Leeds to sell in exchange for more funds to spend themselves in the January transfer window.
Tyler Roberts, Robin Koch and Adam Forshaw are the three players named by the journalist. The trio made just 27 Premier League starts between them and were often introduced as substitutes throughout the campaign. Indeed, the latter was ruled out for the entire 2020/21 campaign due to a long-standing hip injury.
Between them, the trio have only made six appearances across the league and Carabao Cup this season, totalling only 301 minutes. Pascal Struijk, Illan Meslier, Jack Harrison and Luke Ayling have each had more individual game-time than the aforementioned trio combied.
The Verdict: Right moves for the right price
Roberts, Koch and Forshaw have played some role in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad since arriving at the club. Having only started 14 league games last season, the former struggled to stake his claim in Bielsa’s side and will need more first team football if he is to be a regular member of the Wales national team.
For Koch, injuries have seen his time at the club disrupted. Similar to Roberts, the 25-year-old will need more regular first team football if he is to regain his place in the Germany squad.
Forshaw, who has more than 300 career appearances, 53 of which have come at Leeds, is now 29 and may find it a tough ask to ever regain a regular place in Bielsa’s XI.
If the club desperately need to trim their wage bill in order to fund potential January signings, the trio named by MacDonald may well be on the chopping block given their peripheral status in the squad.
In other news, Bielsa confirmed this boost to his Leeds squad for the clash against Liverpool
About the Author
