It seems that a drop into the Championship for Leeds United is going to cost them a lot more than financial heartache, with one major star telling the club he no longer wants to play for them if they’re not in the Premier League.
With just eight games left of the 2022/23 league season, the Elland Road outfit find themselves on 29 points, just two places and two points above the drop zone.
After a 5-1 humbling at home to Crystal Palace last time out, and with Liverpool up next as well as the likes of Man City, Newcastle and Tottenham to come, things aren’t looking great for Javi Gracia and his side.
That said, clubs have been in worse positions and still survived – West Ham in 2006/07 springs to mind – so it really depends on how the players apply themselves from this point, and whether Gracia is able to motivate them enough to keep their heads above water.
Rodrigo has 13 goals in 27 games (nine of which were as a sub) in all competitions per WhoScored, and that one-in-two ratio could be vital in helping Leeds retain their English top-flight status.
It is the striker that’s already told the club not to expect him to stay around in the event of relegation, however.
According to Football Insider, the club are ready to verbally agree to that request, given that he is the club’s top earner and they would find it hard to hold onto him.
Spotrac put the 32-year-old’s weekly salary at £100,000, so there’s a huge cost saving to be made even though it means his striking talents will no longer be on show at Elland Road.