Leeds United have picked up a significant boost to their finances courtesy of getting players off their wage books with a number of loan exits over the summer, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reporter, a reputable source of information of what is happening at Elland Road, has revealed the details of a number of the club’s agreements over temporary departures on his personal Twitter account, stating that Luton paying a majority of Eunan O’Kane’s salary “makes a difference” to the club’s financial status.
in most cases it takes a portion of the wage bill (Zwolle for example are paying all of Ouasim Bouy's salary; Luton paying a good chunk of O'Kane's). Makes a difference.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) September 6, 2018
In total Leeds saw no less than 10 players with first team experience leave the club on a temporary basis over the summer.
Opinion
There was quite simply too much deadwood at Elland Road on Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival to the club and he spent much of the summer trying to ship out those who he did not see as part of the senior side for the current season on either a temporary or permanent basis. If he managed to get most of those players’ wages off the books then he will have made a big difference, and it could be how they managed to afford to bring in the likes of Barry Douglas and Patrick Bamford. Just because those who are out on loan have left Elland Road does not mean their careers at the club are over either, for the likes of Paudie O’Connor, Jay-Roy Grot and Caleb Ekuban could come back considering that age is in their favour. However, the likes of O’Kane look done and dusted and after being shipped out temporarily this year, a permanent exit is almost certainly on the horizon for them when they do make a return to Elland Road.