Leeds Banter 4

27 May 2026 21:00:36
69 mill for Gordon from bankrupt Barca. Wouldn’t give you half of that, grossly over rated.

27 May 2026 22:13:47
He's no superlative Raphinha, that's for sure.
Closer in talent to Jackie.

28 May 2026 12:08:58
Gordon Ramsey!

The football world is bonkers!

28 May 2026 12:40:48
Indeed, Ani.

I would want Flash Gordon at £69 million, not Anthony Gordon.

28 May 2026 21:17:31
We sold Raphinha to Barcelona 4 years ago, and they still owe us £36M on the deal. If I were a club selling a player to them now, I'd tell them the deal is 100% of the fee up front, or no deal. Take it or leave it.

28 May 2026 22:37:23
I'm not sure they still owe us for Raphinha, JR; I believe we were paid by a 3rd party intermediary and BCN owe them for Raphinha.

29 May 2026 05:40:00
Spot on with that, Ani.

27 May 2026 17:17:59
I see Jimmy made the Dutch squad.
Let's hope he plays ASAP for them and we get paid one of the add-ons before WHU end up selling him.

27 May 2026 18:27:28.
How much is the add on?
£3 million? £5 million?
Useful money. 💰

27 May 2026 19:40:48
Good luck to him, well deserved. Can't understand how that donkey Weghorst makes the squad tho.

27 May 2026 22:33:04
No idea of actual value, Baz, but certainly have seen 5 mill mentioned before.
Would be delighted with that.

28 May 2026 08:16:06
I've read that it's 4Mil, and that could come sooner than the World Cup, with the Netherlands set to play two friendlies next week, and if he is selected, it will activate that add-on clause.

28 May 2026 22:31:21
Not much, if anything, allegedly. Maybe a couple of hundred grand.

27 May 2026 16:11:24
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 38 - Quick Round Up

27 May 2026 07:48:00
I’m seeing a big split in opinion regarding the suggested number of player sales this summer.

For me, I do feel we need to clear the decks, for the new financial regs we can’t be wasting wages on players who simply will not offer much or be used by the gaffer.



So
My feeling is we will do our best to offload around 10-12 and bring in 5/6 good quality signings then some stocking fillers.

27 May 2026 09:10:17
Think offloading be harder than it sounds, especially with some of the wages. Just need to try and give away as best we can. Get some dosh for Struik, Perri and try improve in a few key positions. Offers for other players to be considered, but not bog, just Rodon, Bijol, Gabby, Amps, Stach, Okafor.

27 May 2026 09:34:31
I think a big part of the team's success has been due to the spirit and teamwork. I don't want that destroyed. I think the players who have been away this season should go, and maybe two or three of the current squad.


The rest, I think, will stay, and we should buy three too quality signings and add a couple or so of squad players (loans?) .
We were stretched at the end of the season. I don't like paddling, but sometimes it helps.

27 May 2026 10:08:58
"Padding". 😂

27 May 2026 14:33:39
My thoughts also, Dunelm. I'd keep most of those who've made regular appearances this season, and then add a few good quality new players. I would regard any new signings as being mostly "additions" rather than "replacements". We were down to the bare bones at West Ham on Sunday, but thankfully our continued PL status was confirmed by then.

If that situation had arisen earlier in the season, the consequences could have been more damaging. We need a (slightly) bigger squad for next year.

27 May 2026 18:39:19
As I said previously, I will be surprised if we manage to offload up to 12.. I predict 8 max.

I do hope the recruitment team are focusing all their efforts on quality goalscoring players, strikers / winger, and in midfield.

And also a reliable, competent RWB and LWB for competition to Bogle and Gudmunsson.

27 May 2026 20:38:12
The good news is that moving players who are not contributing like:

Gelhardt
Ramazani
Meslier (end of contract)
Buononotte (end of loan)
Byram (end of contract)

This will free up about 150k a week in wages if Gelhardt package reports are to be believed.
Moving on even two more from Wober, James, Harrison, Schmidt, Piroe would take us above 200k, with some fees too.

Perri would only be sold if recouped. He did not have a great start, but he is not awful.

Darlow needs a new contract. Ampadu needs exploring a new contract. Aaronson, we need to decide if he gets a new contract or we sell him now. Tying those three down (I think they will lean to keeping Aaronson) will eat into the 200k a week a bit.

27 May 2026 07:39:12
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Slot, Reijnen and a Summer of Big Calls

27 May 2026 01:07:01
Man walks into an old Wild West tavern, right behind him an Indian walks in carrying a bucket of poo, six shooter on his hip and a cat on his shoulder - goes to the bar and asks for whiskey. Get's his whiskey, knocks it back, stands back shoots the bucket of poo, the cat screams and runs out the door, with the Indian in close pursuit. Everyone stands and looks at each other in shock. couple of days go by, and in walks the India again, another bucket of poo and same cat, and does the same thing. another couple of days go by and in walks the Indian, the tar bender, stops him and tells him in no way is he serving him whiskey and what the heck is he doing making such a mess - the India replies - Me just want to be like white man, drink Whiskey, shoot the rubbish, and chase pussy

I'll get my hat - happy off season.

27 May 2026 07:19:12
Must be that white privilege thing 😂😂😂

27 May 2026 19:47:33
Thankfully we have sensible moderators here. On another (non football) forum I contribute to, pussy would've been changed to #####, and you'd have got a flea in your ear for your questionable language

26 May 2026 13:13:27
Andy Robertson would be a great signing for us.
He's a proper leader on and off the pitch and could have a similar impact as Gordon Strachan did all those years back. Wages maybe an issue but I'm fairly certain he'd like to stay up north?

26 May 2026 13:52:05
Good shout, Cork, but he plays at lb, and we already have Gudmondsson.

26 May 2026 16:32:47
Competition, Feath. We can't just buy players as back up. We need proper competition for each position.

26 May 2026 16:45:39
It's gonna have to be a hellavu player who would come even close to having the supreme impact on Super Leeds United on and off the pitch. That the imperious Gordon Strachan had!

Isn't Robertson off to Spuds in any case.

26 May 2026 17:56:15
Not yet, Baz. Apparently he'd prefer to stay up north as he has a young family.

26 May 2026 18:07:34
Absolutely, Cork, regarding competition, but neither of those would be happy warming the bench. Unless we had a system to accommodate both of them.

26 May 2026 18:53:28
Given Robertson has spent most of this season bench warming, and is the reason he has decided to move on, he's definitely not going to sign anywhere not "guaranteeing" first team selection week in, week out.



He's been good, no doubt, but I think he's past his best. I don't think he would be a great improvement on GG [who got better and better as the season wore on].

26 May 2026 20:17:58
What Ani said. 👍

27 May 2026 00:01:10
Haven't got a clue. This squad needs good players n good leadership. We have very little.

27 May 2026 01:17:56
This season he's been second string to Kerkez at Liverpool. Would he come here to be second string to GG? We do need a backup LWB, so if he's willing to come he'd be a solid signing with years of top level experience.

27 May 2026 07:42:22
Can't afford his wages.

27 May 2026 19:30:16
He will be a free agent, so his wages will be whatever a potential new club is willing to pay. We make him an offer. If he likes it, he comes; if he doesn't, he doesn't.

Just like we did with Nmecha and DCL. Wherever he ends up, his pay will be nothing like what it was at Liverpool, so if that is what he's expecting, he'll be disappointed.

26 May 2026 07:39:13
{Ed's Note - Sly_C has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's System: Who Benefits and Who Regresses?

26 May 2026 05:49:18
Players to go for me are
Mes, Perri, Wober, JH, James, Gnonto, BA, Nmecha, Bournaw
Would also sell Struijk, don’t rate him, slow and out of position a lot, has pros that he’s left footer and can score from corners but not a great defender and would prefer another couple CBs in, maybe Diasi, Mav or what about Ake, experience and can play Cb or Lb.
I’d keep Darlow but bring in another GK to challenge, maybe Areola or Jose Sa. Think Trafford too expensive.


Will need a couple-3 wide men, can we get Wilson? I’d go for Summerville with swap for James and Piroe?
Tyreck George from Toffees looks good and 22yo.
I would keep out MF enforcers (Amps, Tank, Stach, Gruev, Longstaff) and then don’t need defensive midfielder, we need CMF, my pick be Macatee or Mane.
Finally need couple forwards, try for Jon Duran.
If we can offload above, those funds plus 100 mil investment would be huge.

26 May 2026 10:00:45
Agree with most of that, Mel, but would think of losing Gruev and Longstaff and put the money towards a young quality (ball playing) enforcer.

26 May 2026 10:09:52
Not sure about McAttee, and the Forest fans are divided. "There's probably a player there somewhere, but doesn't show it often enough."

26 May 2026 10:46:00
Wouldn't take Duran, clearly has talent but also issues hence so many moves at such a young age.

Mcatee again a no for me, not good enough or physical enough.

Mane yes I'd take him looks a good prospect.

I'd fully expect Piroe to leave and wouldn't be shocked to see Nmecha sold for "ffp"

Need 2 strikers, I'd go sign 1 and loan with option for a second.
Demirovic & either David or Openda.

Don't rate Harry wilson other than a squad player. I'd much rather have Harvey Elliot.

IMO we also need
Keeper
Left back (cover)
Centre back x 1-2
ATM/Wingers x 2-3 (depends on departures)
Striker x 1-2 ( depends on departures)


I'd sell
Perri £15
Bornauw £6m
James £15m
Gnonto £15m
Ramazani £10m
Piroe £10m
Gruev £5m
Nmecha £10-15m
Wober £3m
Schmidt £3m
Joseph £5m

Circa £90-100 + £100m rumoured budget

ATM/wingers
Mane, Elliot, Wilson & Okafor, Aaronsun, Paixao?

STRIKERS,
DCL, Demirovic, Openda/ J David/ P David

MIDFIELDERS.
Ampadu, Stach, Tanaka, Longstaff, Mane, Hackney?

DEFENCE.
Struijk, Rodon, Bijol, Dhoeki, Gabby +1, Bogle, Justin.

KEEPERS.
Darlow, +2

Squad fillers from academy

26 May 2026 11:47:50
Hmm.
From lists above, peeps on here are suggesting we sell 12 players and replace them with 12 players.

Woah, that's a very busy, unlikely window.

26 May 2026 13:03:15
Wober and Schmidt will go on frees, maybe a token fee for Schmidt.
I'd be hoping for double that amount for Gruev.
The only way we get 15 mill for James is if a newly promoted club wants him.

26 May 2026 23:24:39
Don't forget Gnonto is understood to have a very high sell on percentage, so we're not actually going to see all that much of any fee.

27 May 2026 02:03:04
I'd not sell as many as some above are suggesting. We certainly do need reinforcements in a number of positions, but in my view most need to be in addition to our current squad rather than instead of.
With that in mind, I'd keep at least some of the following:
Perri, Bornauw, Gruev, Gnonto, James, Nmecha.
James has 3 years left on his £3.9M pa contract, so the chances of another club topping that are slim.

Joseph has a long recovery ahead from a ruptured ACL, so is not leaving anytime soon. Wober and Schmidt, we won't get diddly squat for. JH would accept any offer just to get him off our books.
I'd be looking to sign:
GK - ??
Backup LWB - Robertson or Krejci.
CB - Dhoeki or maybe Ake.
AM - Elliott or Wilson, or both.
Striker (s) - Openda, Demirovic, Castellanos.