Kieran Maguire sheds light on Leeds United release clause drama – ‘it’s more to do with this…’
Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani are not entirely to blame for the difficult transfer position of Leeds United.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the alarming number of loan relegation clauses triggered at Leeds this summer.
The Yorkshire club have seen a large portion of their squad depart this summer, with many going out on loan as part of relegation clauses embedded into their contract.
It has left Daniel Farke with a very thin squad, with the Leeds boss naming only seven substitutes for their Championship clash against West Brom on Friday evening (18 August).
The relegation clauses were inserted during Andrea Radrizanni’s time as owner when director of football Victor Orta was responsible for transfer negotiations.
As a result of the clauses, Leeds have seen as many as 10 first-team players leave this summer while only receiving £28million from the sales of Rodrigo and Tyler Adams.
Maguire admits that Leeds are at a disadvantage in the transfer window compared to the likes of Southampton and Leicester as they were in the Premier League for a shorter amount of time.
“Leicester and Southampton were more established clubs than Leeds United, by which I mean they had spent a longer time in the Premier League,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“So they were in a slightly different position when it came to being relegated and having the relevant clauses embedded in contracts.
“Leeds were coming from far further back because they were only promoted in 2020.
“So I think they are at a disadvantage – that disadvantage I don’t think can necessarily be laid at the door of Radrizzani and Orta although they certainly haven’t helped.
“It’s more to do with the fact that Leeds have tried to accelerate their position and everybody forgets that their first season in the Premier League they were a breath of fresh air.
“I think there was a huge amount of positivity surrounding the club and so the disappointing seasons in both 21/22 and 22/23 came as a bit of a surprise.
“But by then they’d already committed themselves to these contracts, whereas the likes of James Maddison will have had an escape clause embedded into his contract because he was at a different point in his career.“
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