2019-20 Transfer News and Squad Discussions

[Otherworld]

After the way the last few months have gone for JKA, he won’t want to come back to Leeds. It may cost us a few quid to settle a contract dispute, but we won’t be forced to take back a player that we don’t want...

That my friend is going to be easier said than done

There’ll be a cancellation clause in the contract, but it will come with a financial penalty.

[Barlow Boy]

Always going to happen, but Costa signs on a permanent deal........

https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-n ... -permanent

[HalifaxWhite]

I am confused by the Costa deal. I thought it was if/when we go up? We are by no means up yet. What if we choke and are 16 million down with Costa?!
Also JKA.

I see a situation when we go up, we have to pay for JKA and have spent on Costa. We declare we can't afford White or a new striker... straight back down we would go.

We need the following:
Striker - high level so cost at least 15 mil
Harrison permanent - 10 mil I've heard
Pablo replacement - 20 mil
White permanent 20-30 mil
Back up CB 10 mil

That is a lot of investment. Feel free to correct me but I don't see how we can't establish ourselves in a similar way to Sheff it's without those players. I know they didn't buy many but they didn't have a tiny squad full of holes like ours.

If we don't get those I fear a season long dog fight at the bottom getting perennially frustrated by missed chances.

[PhoenixUnited]

I can accept that the Costa deal was a fait accompli but it strikes me as the same sort of deal that took Jack Clarke to Tottenham. A shed load of money on a product that is or is proving to be quite ordinary. Wolves will be laughing all the way to the bank!

[Deleted User 728]

More than any of the above, Bielsa doesn't play anyone who hasn't trained with the side for a couple of months - is that right ? I think that's what he said about JKA.

We don't have that much time between now and the start of next season whether we're up, down or staying where we are, rich or poor.

We will start next season with this squad plus some academy step-ups like Edmundson and Struijk.

[Leonickroberts]

I am confused by the Costa deal. I thought it was if/when we go up? We are by no means up yet. What if we choke and are 16 million down with Costa?!
Also JKA.

I see a situation when we go up, we have to pay for JKA and have spent on Costa. We declare we can't afford White or a new striker... straight back down we would go.

We need the following:
Striker - high level so cost at least 15 mil
Harrison permanent - 10 mil I've heard
Pablo replacement - 20 mil
White permanent 20-30 mil
Back up CB 10 mil

That is a lot of investment. Feel free to correct me but I don't see how we can't establish ourselves in a similar way to Sheff it's without those players. I know they didn't buy many but they didn't have a tiny squad full of holes like ours.

If we don't get those I fear a season long dog fight at the bottom getting perennially frustrated by missed chances.

The Costa deal didn't have a promotion clause in it I don't think Halifax - we committed to sign him irrespective of promotion. The deal was structured to effectively spread the £16m across 5 years (i.e. including last season's loan) in order to make the payments manageable. We all agree that he's underperformed against that money, but he's still reasonably young and I reckon he's got the potential to step up.

As far as I know the cost for signing Harrison will be £8m rather than £10m.

If we went up we would definitely need a Pablo replacement - it'd be lovely to be in a position where we could still bring on Pablo for the last 30, but have somebody younger and quicker doing the same job for the first 60.

It seems to me that money and Bielsa are two separate and only occasionally overlapping circles. If we go up and spend £28m-odd on JKA/Harrison, we should still have plenty available for a few other signings given the windfall associated with EPL status. Ben White would be another £30m so if we were fortunate enough to beat others to his signing that'd take us to £60m, which would be the upper limit of spending I'd imagine. The real wildcard though is Bielsa. Even if we did have £60m to spend, Bielsa would just want White, Harrison, and maybe a Pablo replacement - otherwise he's not going to add to the squad I don't think.

For me, if we had White/Harrison/JKA or equivalent, another backup CB and a new Pablo, I'd be happy enough going into the season I think. Right now, all I care about is getting up. Orta can worry about making the above work!

[HalifaxWhite]

I am confused by the Costa deal. I thought it was if/when we go up? We are by no means up yet. What if we choke and are 16 million down with Costa?!
Also JKA.

I see a situation when we go up, we have to pay for JKA and have spent on Costa. We declare we can't afford White or a new striker... straight back down we would go.

We need the following:
Striker - high level so cost at least 15 mil
Harrison permanent - 10 mil I've heard
Pablo replacement - 20 mil
White permanent 20-30 mil
Back up CB 10 mil

That is a lot of investment. Feel free to correct me but I don't see how we can't establish ourselves in a similar way to Sheff it's without those players. I know they didn't buy many but they didn't have a tiny squad full of holes like ours.

If we don't get those I fear a season long dog fight at the bottom getting perennially frustrated by missed chances.

The Costa deal didn't have a promotion clause in it I don't think Halifax - we committed to sign him irrespective of promotion. The deal was structured to effectively spread the £16m across 5 years (i.e. including last season's loan) in order to make the payments manageable. We all agree that he's underperformed against that money, but he's still reasonably young and I reckon he's got the potential to step up.

As far as I know the cost for signing Harrison will be £8m rather than £10m.

If we went up we would definitely need a Pablo replacement - it'd be lovely to be in a position where we could still bring on Pablo for the last 30, but have somebody younger and quicker doing the same job for the first 60.

It seems to me that money and Bielsa are two separate and only occasionally overlapping circles. If we go up and spend £28m-odd on JKA/Harrison, we should still have plenty available for a few other signings given the windfall associated with EPL status. Ben White would be another £30m so if we were fortunate enough to beat others to his signing that'd take us to £60m, which would be the upper limit of spending I'd imagine. The real wildcard though is Bielsa. Even if we did have £60m to spend, Bielsa would just want White, Harrison, and maybe a Pablo replacement - otherwise he's not going to add to the squad I don't think.

For me, if we had White/Harrison/JKA or equivalent, another backup CB and a new Pablo, I'd be happy enough going into the season I think. Right now, all I care about is getting up. Orta can worry about making the above work!

Yep your last paragraph is the same as what I said and I would be over the moon if we got them all. I think if we pull out of JKA and don't get somebody else and also don't secure 2 CB (hopefully one is White) we'll really struggle.

[HalifaxWhite]

Having said all of that Bielsa could probably make me a decent footballer so there's always that to consider. He really is the best manager we have ever had. To get this team playing as well as we do considering previous seasons with pretty much the same team.

[Another Northern Soul]

He really is the best manager we have ever had.

Sorry, what?

[Deleted User 728]

Coach, maybe, but never manager. That will always be the Don. We were the best team in the world for five or six years in the late 60s/early 70s.

... and I include Brazil in that.