The next few weeks are crucial to Leeds United and how they progress as a football club, as they bid to stay in the Premier League at the expense of either Burnley or Everton.
Going down to the Championship could see a mass exodus of players from the Yorkshire club, as club owner Andrea Radrizzani has given release clauses to most players in the squad, which can now be seen as a big problem.
The Daily Mail reports that most of Leeds’ stars, including Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford, will be available for modest fees averaging around £30million if they are relegated this season; with many clubs already interested.
Raphinha is wanted by Barcelona, who Todofichajes state is close to joining the Catalan club for just €25million this summer and there will be meetings in the next few days.
According to Manchester Evening News, Philips is wanted by Manchester United and many other clubs, as the Red Devils look to strengthen their midfield this summer. United have needed a midfielder for a while now and the Leeds man would be a good fit.
As for Bamford, nobody is said to be interested in the striker as of now but if a fee for the 28-year-old appears to be a low one, there will be clubs ready to pounce after the Englishman’s good campaign last season.
This release clause situation could be a disaster for Leeds, as some of the players on the list are worth a lot more than the fees in their contracts. The Yorkshire club has only one way to avoid this scenario and that’s to stay in England’s top division.