Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has suggested that Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla could be on his way out of Elland Road this summer.
The 6’2″ stopper [Transfermarkt] arrived from Real Madrid in January, and while he is not explicitly seeking a move away from United, Hay believes that he could be back off to Spain during the current transfer window.
Replying to a tweet asking about the 32-year-old’s future, he said: “Realistically, I’m expecting him to go.
“Very high wage and not easy to carry for long in the Championship.
“Doesn’t sound like he is angling to leave but I think he will.”
realistically, I'm expecting him to go. Very high wage and not easy to carry for long in the Championship. Doesn't sound like his angling to leave but I think he will.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 5, 2019
OPINION
Casilla was always going to be an expensive gamble. He may have come in on a free transfer, but realistically, his prospective fee was probably largely eaten up by his wage bill. As Hay says, that’s not a sustainable way to do business in the second tier. Sure, if United had gone up, they would have probably kept him on, but the fact of the matter is that they didn’t, and next year is going to be a slog for which they could well do without his pay packet weighing them down. If he had been absolutely unplayable, that too might have changed things, but as it is, Casilla has struggled for consistency. He lost his head a little in the play-off semi-final when they needed him most, and he looked awfully shaky for a man who had just come from the biggest club in the world. Sometimes these things work out, but when they don’t, the secret is knowing when to cut your losses. Leeds need to let Casilla go.