Chris Wood has released a statement on Twitter to reveal that he has pulled out of Leeds United’s league clash against Sunderland on Saturday evening.
Wood issued a statement on his personal Twitter account 30 minutes before kick-off to reveal that he will not be in the matchday squad because he is in “ongoing” talks to join an unnamed Premier League club, who is widely reported to be Burnley.
“Due to strong interest from a Premier League team, the on-going discussions with the club, and given it has always been my ambition to play at the highest level, I don’t feel it is right that I play today,” Wood explained.
“I wish the team all the best and hope the lads can pick up the three points.”
— Chris Wood (@officialcwood) August 19, 2017
Good move for Leeds?
No, not at all. Sure, the club might be about to bank an initial £15million – and maybe even a possible £20million should performance-related bonuses be achieved – but they are losing their best chance of securing promotion. Wood was the outstanding striker in the Championship last season as he responded superbly to the coaching of Garry Monk and took his game to a new level. His 30 goals in all competitions, 27 of which came in the league, amounted to 24 more than the next top scorer in the team. Moreover, Wood’s timing is lousy as he leaves the team without their main scorer for a tough league match against a team who were in the Premier League a few months ago. There is no doubt he will be sorely missed today and over the next nine months.
This Is Futbol rating: 2/10
Likely to happen?
This is the final confirmation that it is a done deal. There was a sense that the Leeds teamsheet for the clash against Sunderland would be telling, and Wood has pre-empted that by revealing he has pulled out of the match to complete a move to an unnamed Premier League club, who we all now know to be Burnley. The striker’s spell at Leeds will soon come to an end.
This Is Futbol rating: 10/10