Daniel-Farke-Leeds-United-Championship. Leeds United are poised to cash in on one of their stars this summer for a huge profit, according to reports.
Leeds expose their financial status.
Leeds United announced earlier in April that they had lost £33.7 million during the 2022-23 season, with an increased pay bill of up to £145 million and operating expenditures rising by £71 million.
Though smaller than the £36 million loss the previous year, it is still a concerning trend, and there are questions about whether the figures are sustainable in terms of financial fair play, particularly if Daniel Farke‘s side is forced to spend another season in the Championship.
They still owe a substantial percentage of the transfer costs for the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Georginio Rutter, and Maximilian Wober, with the club supposedly owing a massive £190 million in fees but only £2 million slated to be spent on their own players.
It means that they are likely to have to sell this summer in order to avoid financial fair play difficulties later on, especially if they desire to reinvest in the in the squad further.
Fortunately, there are several clear options to consider, with all of Jesse Marsch’s acquisitions currently on loan and unlikely to return under Farke’s new administration, while Luis Sinisterra has joined Bournemouth and Jack Harrison’s loan transfer to Everton might become permanent.
Leeds is preparing to cash in on Gnonto.
According to a new report from Football Insider, Leeds are planning to sell Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto this summer in order to relieve financial pressures.
Though Pete O’Rourke maintains that the Whites don’t want to sell Gnonto in an ideal world, he has confessed that the Italian’s price tag is set, with Leeds prepared to demand between £20m and £30m and willing to “accept an offer at the higher end of that threshold” this summer.
The arrangement would also save them roughly £20,000 per week in salaries, albeit it is unlikely they would find a successor of his caliber who is ready to accept being one of the club’s lowest-paid employees.
Gnonto has previously sparked interest from both the Premier League and Serie A clubs, with Arsenal and Manchester City being mentioned as potential destinations last summer. The Italian has had an up and down year in the Championship, battling to establish himself as a regular starter under Farke following his bid to depart but still scoring eight goals and assisting two in 38 appearances across all competitions.
Leeds bought it for 4.5 million euros (£3.9 million), and a sale for £30 million would net them a profit of little over £26 million, or 770% on their initial investment.
In a summer when they will most likely have to accept losses on several of their high-profile players in order for them to leave, Gnonto’s departure may be a welcome change, but it is uncertain whether any club will be willing to meet that asking price for the Italian.
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