Leeds United owner Paraag Marathe’s decision to break his silence at the end of the season has provided several clues to what the club are going to do in the upcoming transfer window.
The Leeds chairman has made it clear that it may take another three years in the top flight for the club to start acting and making decisions like an established Premier League club.
He also indicated that Leeds are not going to deviate from a deliberate approach in the transfer window, indicating that the club will not make any hasty, expensive decisions in the market.
However, Marathe’s reference to the new financial rules of the Premier League ahead of next season suggests that the club could be open to offers for some of their more important players.
Pascal Struijk may leave to raise funds for Leeds in the summer
It emerged on Monday that Pascal Struijk is not guaranteed to stay at Leeds beyond the end of the upcoming summer transfer window.
He has a year left on his contract, and while Leeds would want him to stay, the player holds all the cards and could opt to seek a fresh challenge in the coming months.
The Leeds chairman’s emphasis on needing to comply with the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules suggests the club may need to sell Struijk to raise funds for incoming transfer business.
Marathe said in an Open Letter on the club’s website: “This summer, instead of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) will impact our transfer market approach.
“As our accounts reflect, we spent every penny possible, as promised, to earn promotion and keep the club in the Premier League.
“Our approach to the transfer market will once again be strategic and disciplined to comply with regulations while striving further to improve, and players will both arrive and depart as a result.”
His sales look like a real possibility
Leeds rejected at least one bid for Struijk last summer and largely avoided selling any of their key players last year following promotion to the Premier League.
However, the new SCR rules could force Leeds’ hand and cash in on Struijk in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The new rules say a Premier League club can spend only 85 per cent of their revenue on transfer fees, wages, and the salaries of the manager and the backroom staff.
There are suggestions that Leeds are already around 88% squad-cost-to-revenue, and may need to sell players to bring that down to meet the current regulations.
Clubs can initially go up to 115 per cent, but breaching the 85 per cent limit will lead to financial penalties.
Leeds have been mindful about not pushing the envelope with financial rules and will likely push to stay within the limits.
Marathe’s assertion that it may take three more years to act like a Premier League club makes sense, as SCR makes it easier for established clubs to spend more compared to newly promoted sides.
