OPINION
As the clock ticks down towards the end of the summer transfer window, Marcelo Bielsa and his recruitment team have some serious work to do to make sure his side are fully prepared for the upcoming campaign.
With Patrick Bamford the latest arrival through the door at Elland Road, the Whites have four new faces on their books, while there have been numerous players heading out the exit as the manager trims down his squad.
There looks to be another departure on the cards sooner rather than later in the shape of 20-year-old midfielder Ronaldo Vieira, with the Yorkshire Evening Post claiming that a rapid fire move to Sampdoria is nearing completion after the fuse was lit on Sunday.
While it will have come as a shock to both the player and the fans, there is one reported detail which hands a hint as to why it has been allowed to go through – Vieira’s wage.
It is stated by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the youngster is set to double his wage with the Italians, and after being handed a new four-year deal in May 2017, he is set to be earning a much better income than at Elland Road – and that could well cause trouble for Bielsa.
Vieira will still be in touch with those in the dressing room and if word gets about what he is earning elsewhere, then the rest of the squad could well get their agents on the phone looking for a move – after all, money talks, and loyalty is a rare thing in football nowadays.
Doubling your wage is huge for a young footballer at the start of your career, and the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Bailey Peacock-Farrell – established stars despite their age – could well be eyeing up a similar path away from the club in the hunt for money.