Reliable Leeds United journalist Phil Hay says that the club would make a “decent profit” on playmaker Samu Saiz if they “decided to sell him tomorrow”, and Whites fans will be worried by his comments.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Hay named the Spaniard as the Yorkshire outfit’s signing of the season as he looked back at the campaign for the Yorkshire Evening Post, and he believes that the mid-table Championship side could make a good profit on a player they signed for £3m less than 12 months ago.
He wrote in the Yorkshire Evening Post: “In financial terms, he is a player on whom Leeds would make a decent profit if they decided to sell him on tomorrow and given the shambles this season has become, Saiz should be well down the list of expendable assets.”
While Leeds surely wouldn’t want to lose one of their best players this summer, they have shown in the past when they have sold the likes of Lewis Cook and Chris Wood for good money that every individual has their price.
How has Saiz done this season?
While the 27-year-old performed brilliantly in the first-half of the campaign, it has been clear to see that he has gone slightly off the boil in 2018 – he hasn’t found the net since November, in fact.
While the Spaniard has scored nine goals and provided a further eight assists in 36 appearances in all competitions, his discipline has also let him down at times.
He picked up a six-match ban for spitting at a Newport County player in the FA Cup in January, while he has reacted negatively to being substituted off by Paul Heckingbottom – although Leeds fans on Twitter backed him on that occasion despite his dissent.
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Would Leeds consider selling him this summer?
It’s difficult to say.
While Saiz is clearly one of the club’s most talented players, if the Yorkshire outfit do receive a big offer for him this summer it could be difficult for them to reject following another disappointing Championship season.
His discipline and attitude will certainly be a concern for the Whites, although it remains to be seen whether a team will be willing to take a risk on the 27-year-old following his drop in form in recent months.