Noel Whelan: Leeds ace would be worth £20m with better decision-making
By Dominic Toner
Noel Whelan claims that Leeds attacker Hadi Sacko would be worth £20million if he could improve one aspect of his game.
Ex-Leeds striker Whelan believes that the 22-year-old is let down hugely by his decision-making and that massively restricts him becoming a top player.
The winger is currently on a season-long loan from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon and has lit up Elland Road with his pace and trickery.
However, he has been guilty of wasting the final ball and has lost his place in the starting line-up recently.
Sacko did return to the starting XI on Tuesday night and played the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 victory over Bristol City, with Chris Wood and Pablo Hernandez securing the three points in the Championship.
Whelan was left frustrated with Sacko after his performance, however, and feels he is nowhere near his full potential.
“Sacko is not the overall player, I understand that – he’d be worth £20 million otherwise,” Whelan told BBC Radio Leeds, as quoted by the BBC Leeds matchday blog (Tuesday, 10:10pm). “We’ve seen his decision-making let him down sometimes – you don’t mind players taking a shot as long as they make the keeper work.”
Sacko is currently vying for a starting position in a highly competitive squad, with the likes of Kemar Roofe, Souleymane Doukara, Alfonso Pedraza, Stuart Dallas and Modou Barrow also vying for a spot.
The wide man has made 31 appearances this season across all competition, scoring two goals and supplying four assists.
He will hope to retain his place in the club’s next game against Ipswich on Saturday in the league and play a major role in the attempt to finish inside the play-off positions.
In other Leeds news, Wood has explained what the club must do to secure promotion.
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