OPINION
The more Leeds United fans learn about the imminent Samuel Saiz transfer, the harder it will be for them to fathom.
Sure, the playmaker is unhappy and unsettled at the west Yorkshire club, as Marcelo Bielsa made clear to the media in the wake of Saturday’s triumph against Bolton Wanderers.
Allowing Saiz to leave is understandable in that context, particularly as he has blown hot and cold this season, starting like a house on fire in the opening six weeks before his impact began to lessen.
What is difficult to comprehend is the terms of the transfer.
Why allow Saiz to leave on an initial loan deal? Why not demand an up-front fee? Or, at the very least, a loan fee of around £1million incorporating an obligation for the transfer to become permanent at the end of the season?
The Yorkshire Evening Post‘s latest report indicates that Leeds have simply thrown in the towel and given the green light for the 27-year-old to join Getafe for nothing.
It is said the Championship giants “will receive no immediate fee for the Spaniard” as part of the deal and that there is a “view” to the transfer becoming permanent for £6million next summer.
The entire Leeds fanbase will surely be fuming at this. Where is the benefit to the club from this?
They have allowed one of the prize assets to leave at the midway point of a season when they are superbly placed to secure Championship promotion, and there is no guarantee they will get any money from it.