Marching On Together

Good Morning. It's Tuesday 9th July, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Would £20m offer tempt Leeds to part with Captain

Serie A outfit Torino are preparing to test Leeds resolve with a £15m - £20m offer for Captain Pascal Struijk, according to respected Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. The 24 year old has recently returned to training following a troublesome groin injury, picked up in the 2-1 defeat at Preston on Boxing Day. After not responding to treatment, he underwent surgery to correct the problem, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.

Up until that point, the former Ajax apprentice had enjoyed an exceptional start to last season, forming a formidable back line with Joe Rodon. He made 23 starts, netting five times, and a respectable 6.92 'Whoscored' rating. Some may argue that £15m - £20m is cheap, considering Torino are in the throws of wrapping up the sale of fellow centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno to Napoli for £34m, but that's the cost after coming back after six months on the sidelines.





Leeds complete Cairns deal

Salford City shot-stopper Alex Cairns has rejoined Leeds in a six figure transfer deal, penning a two year contract at the club. The deal comes after seeing promising keeper Kristoffer Klaesson depart for Polish outfit Rakow Czestochow on a free transfer (according to his Wikipedia page), three years after his £1.6m move from Vålerenga. Cairns, who had one year left on his contract returns to his boyhood club nine years after leaving to provide competition for Karl Darlow, as to who gets to sit on the bench on match days.





Firpo Olympic inclusion will upset Farke

Junior Firpo has been named in Ibai Gomez's Dominican Republic Football Squad in the Olympics later this Summer, despite Leeds opposition to the idea! The 27 year old is one of only two players (Byram being the other) recognised to play left wing back for the Whites. If he were to join up with the Quisqueyanos, he is likely to miss most of the pre-season, which could have a detrimental effect on Daniel Farke's preparations for the new season. The Olympics is not part of the official FIFA calendar, and Leeds are under no obligation to release players for the competition.

Why would we sell Struijk for £15m when we could keep him for a year, get promoted and sell him for £30m if we chose?

Cairns is just a box-ticking exercise as a home-grown player.

If we’re keeping Firpo he won’t be released for the Olympics, so it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.

Any excuse for Farke No doubt Firpo going to the Olympics will be why we don't get promoted

SG90 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:10 am Any excuse for Farke No doubt Firpo going to the Olympics will be why we don't get promoted

Or alternatively - Why we do.

If rumours are to be believed it’s looking bleak, football insider claim we will sell Rutter, Summerville and gnonto and now on here I see struijk linked away - that would bring in probably in the region of 80 million + 40 for Gray - what is the justification for needing that sum? And why would an outfit like red bull invest only to see all out best players sold - I’d be surprised if any of this is true, could see Summerville going and that’s it.

Yes well we always have the Chancers sniffing around hoping to entice away players on the cheap. Regarding Struijk, in the past we might well have taken a discounted offer for our players but I am not sure it will be the case now. A silly £35m plus offer might be tempting but then you would hope that there is a very good replacement lined up.

Cairns is a second back up keeper if the worst comes to the worst comes to the worst. Can't say Darlow fill me with confidence so it will be a case of hoping like Hell that Meslier stays fit!

Why would Leeds United or the injury prone Firpo himself even give the idea of playing in the Olympics a second thought? We have no cover at LB and we have an injury prone player in Sam Byram at RB. Be really short-sighted not to address these shortcomings NOW

WhiteRose wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:44 am If rumours are to be believed it’s looking bleak, football insider claim we will sell Rutter, Summerville and gnonto and now on here I see struijk linked away - that would bring in probably in the region of 80 million + 40 for Gray - what is the justification for needing that sum? And why would an outfit like red bull invest only to see all out best players sold - I’d be surprised if any of this is true, could see Summerville going and that’s it.

Football Insider is clickbait rubbish

Several sources suggesting Summerville does not want to leave Leeds, and lets be honest, if he stays, there's a much better chance that we can win promotion. The Promotion monies will more than cover the £30m - £35m fee for Summerville, and should be able to still get £20m next Summer as he'll still have a year left on his terms.

11 players have now left Leeds - it's about time we make another good signing (like Rodon)

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 9:03 am Several sources suggesting Summerville does not want to leave Leeds, and lets be honest, if he stays, there's a much better chance that we can win promotion. The Promotion monies will more than cover the £30m - £35m fee for Summerville, and should be able to still get £20m next Summer as he'll still have a year left on his terms.

11 players have now left Leeds - it's about time we make another good signing (like Rodon)

Why do you think he wouldn’t want to leave?
I’d have him as an absolute certainty if the likes of Liverpool or PSG are interested

I had high hopes for Klaesson, Cresswell, Gelhardt, Allen, Kris Moore, Jenkins, Gyabi, Bate, Perkins, Greenwood, Miller, McGurk, Dean, and what the hell has happened has happened with Monteiro?

SG90 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:58 am Football Insider is clickbait rubbish

I hate click bate

I would be astounded if we sold Struijk - incidentally I said the same about Gray a couple of months ago.

This is all a question of finance.
Do we need to sell ? That is the million dollar question which is the source of most speculation.

For me it depends on what the club’s plans are. Personally, my instinct suggests they are off loading perceived dead wood to bring the wage bill down as part of a cost cutting exercise. I hope and believe to a large degree that we will only sell another big ticket player to finance required additions.

The fact there are no stories circulating suggesting players wanting to leave is a big positive.

Whether we can get what we need to fill out the first team squad from loans, out of contract or the bargain bin is anyone’s guess.

I am confident the club have considered all the options and have targets. Whether we get those targets is a slave to many variables.

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 9:09 am I had high hopes for Klaesson, Cresswell, Gelhardt, Allen, Kris Moore, Jenkins, Gyabi, Bate, Perkins, Greenwood, Miller, McGurk, Dean, and what the hell has happened has happened with Monteiro?

Stuck to the bottom of the barrel at Throp Arch

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 9:09 am I hate click bate

99.999% of what's out there is either idle speculation ,clickbait rubbish or people reposting either of these .. The club indicated there was no issue with Sustainability rules because to have flagged a problem would have encouraged the vultures but clearly one major sale was required within the relevant time frame to avoid a risk of a points deduction issue . If big offers had come in early for Gnonto or Summerville I think there would have been a preference to keep Gray but it clearly didn't happen so needs must . Obviously a sale of Rutter at this stage would at best be neutral in PSR terms so that makes no sense if he's willing to stay .The clear out of the squad is a necessary step to putting together a squad where Farke has some extra squad players that he trusts to play his system and rotate a bit more for the long hard slog.

Selling Struijk doesn't make sense to me unless you intend to keep Wober and play him which might be a stretch after the events of last year .If he was to come back and say that the only reason was that he had been told his chance of playing for Austria would be gone if he was playing in the Championship and commits to the cause now that the Euros are finished would people give him a second chance ?Would the same logic apply to Kristenssen who might see the merit of looking for a Firpo like resurrection playing in the Championship?
There's a team working on this squad rebuild and I have a sense that the 49ers will expect that it will produce a promotion and will within the rules back them as required.

If you are being serious about getting out of this league then selling Struijk is just not on the cards. Until he got injured he was playing very well and had been made captain. Barring any injuries to him or Rodon i think those 2 playing together would be a hugh positive in how we do this season.

mentalcase wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 9:33 am

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 9:09 am I hate click bate

Do you like his brother, Lewis.

No to Struijk, best CB at the club and we have Rodon... 30M plus for our captain minimum.

I'd let Firpo and Joseph go to the olympics, it'll be a confidence boost, proper match fitness will be attained and Firpo was good last season despite missing a lot of the early part. Too much made of missing pre season training which is really only key for new players and for getting toward match fit though friendlies aren't as good as competitive football

As I say I don't understand the Cairns move at all ...

mentalcase wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 10:40 am Do you like his brother, Lewis.

Do Leeds have a lower ratio youth to 1st team?

I really thought Lewis Bate would have made it...