According to the latest reports from the Sun as cited by Birmingham Mail, Leeds United want to sign Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison permanently in the summer. However, the Citizens are valuing him at £20m. With such a figure been thrown about, we feel that Leeds United are unlikely to sign him permanently.
£20m- A Joke!
Harrison in no way should command a figure of £20m given the season he has had at Elland Road. The winger was average at best for most parts of the campaign, and even though he produced a delightful assist in the playoff semi-final, the Whites can get much better players for a similar amount.
Leeds United were close to signing Daniel James for £10m in the January transfer market, and the Wales international was having a better season than Harrison. Even now after he caught the imagination of everyone, James is being valued at £15m by Manchester United.
Therefore we don’t see on what grounds the Citizens are placing such hefty price tag on the English winger. The 22-year-old needs to improve a lot to demand that kind of money. Harrison is contracted to stay at the Etihad until 2021. Given the talent which City have at their disposal, Harrison is unlikely to come anywhere near their first team.
The winger played on the left flank for the Whites and contributed with four goals and three assists in 37 Championship appearances. On numerous occasion, he was so below par that Bielsa had to chuck him out at the half time. Given the amount of possession and chances United created, a more clinical winger would have had a more significant impact on the goals and assists chart.
What Should Bielsa Do?
Now, Harrison isn’t exactly a hopeless signing for the Whites, and the club should look to bring him but only for the right price. We feel that the winger should be valued around £7-8m at best and if Bielsa and Co aren’t able to bring the price down, then they should look at other wingers.
With no promotion, the club is unlikely to spend megabucks in the transfer market. Signing a winger or two is going to be a priority for Leeds. Bielsa would be better off securing another loan deal for Harrison for the upcoming season if possible. Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa share a good relationship, and hopefully, Pep would be able to realise how much Harrison can benefit by playing under the Argentine for another season. However, the Premier League champions need to come up with reasonable demands for the Whites to sign him again.
