Leeds United

Leeds United: Neville makes worrying relegation claim

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Image for Leeds United: Neville makes worrying relegation claim

Gary Neville has warned Leeds of the financial ramifications that relegation could have on the club if they can’t avoid the drop this season.

Leed fell into the bottom three on Sunday with a 2-1 loss to Arsenal but could overtake Burnley if they manage a result at home to Chelsea this evening. 

The club appointed Jesse Marsch in February but 11 points from his nine games in charge since the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham which ended Marcelo Bielsa’s reign, hasn’t been enough to take them clear of danger.

With the resurgent form of Burnley and Everton, the Whites need points and fast with games against Brighton and Brentford to come but their misery has been compounded over the past couple of weeks with the loss of the influential duo Stuart Dallas with a  fractured leg and Luke Ayling who is suspended for the rest of the season. 

Now speaking on his podcast, Neville says he has learned of the huge effect relegation would have on the club and it doesn’t sound good for the Yorkshire club.

He said: 

(20:56)“I think that the desperation of going down, the financial loss is too great. That drop is enormous and it causes real problems. But one of them is going to suffer it.

“I can only imagine the losses that Everton are going to have to suffer if they go down. And Leeds will not be far, well they will be far but there will be a lot of losses at Leeds as well. It’s going to be awful.”

And continued:

(21:29)“I heard a couple of weeks ago that the difference between going down and staying up was £120m. Of cash that they would have to put in, if they didn’t sell any players.

“You think to yourself, wow, it’s not pocket change that. That can’t be right. That sort of cliff edge is so deep.”

TIF Thoughts on Leeds and relegation…

Relegation would almost certainly see the club lose their two most prized assets in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha with both heavily linked to a move elsewhere and the cost of going down probably won’t stop there given what Neville has suggested.

There have been some expensive acquisitions brought to the club since promotion from the Championship back in 2020 with the likes of Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Dan James and Rodrigo all coming in and the club could be forced to sell more of their key players should the worst case scenario come to fruition. 

It would seem that the threat of relegation has a sharper edge than first thought and the onus will now be on the players, the fans and the club as a whole to do their utmost to secure safety in the three remaining games. 

AND in other news, ‘Young Ronaldo’, £12.5m gem: Two signings that will make Leeds fans forget Raphinha – opinion

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