Eddie was great. They killed Eddie. Those bastards. As a sign of protest I run away from SF all the way to the border and found even shittier organisation.
i want to be clear that i dont know anything- but this is my thinking as well. i agree theres no way wes should sign without a release clause (i dont think he should go to leeds period but thats neither here nor there). someone asked why leeds would do that- because its leeds taking the gamble. they "need" wes, not the other way around.
I just wanna counter this (not targeting you specifically)...has anybody who actually watched Juve thought they were challenging for CL? Like, serious contenders to make a deep run? If participating is all that matters, Wes was playing in CL with Schalke for crying out loud! I feel like he knows better than anybody outside the club what ambitions and prospects Juventus actually has to win. He's chosen to part ways and try another path and it's the kind of thinking Pulisic and Dest could probably benefit from. Also worth noting, joining Leeds still puts him in contention to win a trophy: the FA Cup Folks may laugh but it's a very prestigious and historic competition. LUFC winning that cup would make a compelling case for Adams & McKennie to garner interest and earn transfers to CL contenders looking to strengthen their squads.
The scouting world at the top teams has gotten much more sophisticated than "look, Tyler Adams won the FA Cup." Instead, it's more like - "here's stats and data from a hundred matches with Leeds, RBL, and USA, plus some writeups from our scout who has watched 20 matches on tape, and here's how good we think he is / can be, and how he might fit into our squad." Except for Chelsea, whose method is "just offer a lot of money to as many people as possible, and sell the guys we already have who are similarly good."
In other words, these teams already know Tyler is magnificent, and already want to sit real close to him, just like Wes.* *Except for Chelsea, of course, as Casper rightly points out.
OK sure. I wasn't necessarily trying to overstate the importance of the FA Cup but English teams tend to put a high value on performance in England no matter how good a prospect looks elsewhere. Wes and Tyler have already caught the eye of Arsenal scouting but for various reasons neither made a direct jump, the manager or somebody in the decision making process remained unconvinced or preferred another option. Performing well for Leeds will likely push them past that threshhold for the clubs who want a sure bet. League games will do them fine (especially if they do well the whole 23/24 season) but I genuinely think a deep FA Cup run could accelerate the process in a short span of time. It doesn't mean they'll actually leave but they're becoming the face of a club and it would be pretty hard to ignore their strengths if LUFC continue to improve. More importantly I was arguing that Wes has at least equal if not better chance at winning a trophy in 2023 by swapping Yorkshire for Torino
Juve to Leeds is a step down in many ways even if this isn't the Juve of yesteryear. I think it would be a shame to see him no longer playing in European competition. But on the other hand, Wes will get well paid in the Premier League and for his further development I don't think it is for sure that playing his current role at Juve is going to see him improve more than being a key player on Leeds. If he moves to Leeds and can step up and be a central figure and lead the midfield in a tough league, that could really help him become a more impactful player overall. I get that a decrease in club status at his age isn't ideal. But sometimes it is good for a player to be the big fish in a smaller pond as long as the pond isn't too small. And the Premier League definitely would definitely be plenty big enough for him to swim. If he can learn to be more of a leader and prove himself as a more central player to a team's setup, he could come out of it a better player. I agree he needs a relegation clause though because going down to the second division after being a regular at Juve would be pretty tragic and to be honest I would hope the move would be for a couple years or so and then he could step up to a stronger team again. He may think if he gets to Leeds and proves himself in the Premier League, it will help him down the line. If he leaves Juve and never again makes it back to playing at a Champions League level it will be a shame.
Playing for a team and manger that truly wants you and believe in you, makes a HUGE different in both performance and growth. Best of luck to him.
Understand Leeds proposal for Weston McKennie is not permanent transfer — it’d be a loan move with buy clause 🚨⚪️🇺🇸 #LUFCLeeds hope to get it done after green light from the player but there’s still no full agreement with Juventus. pic.twitter.com/8xHqUxmQTw— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 27, 2023
I don't claim to understand how these things work, but I'm kind of surprised McKennie would be agreeable to a loan to a lower table team like Leeds. Wouldn't he want the security of a permanent deal?
This might be the functional equivalent of a relegation clause for him, where he feels confident it will turn into a permanent transfer if Leeds aren't relegated, but otherwise he can feel secure that he won't be playing in the Championship next season if things go south.
Does he not already have security with his current Juventus contact? How many years left on that deal? I am glad to hear it is a loan. A nice trial period for both he and the club, and they can assess at the end of the season.
No one is laughing at the prestige of the FA Cup. Forgive me, but I will laugh at the notion that Leeds can win it THIS season. A nice thought, but also a fairy tale...
IMO, the problem is that everybody knows Juventus needs to sell. Juventus wants a bidding war to raise McKennie's price, but most clubs can sit and wait.
Depending on the terms of any loan, it also gives Leeds a chance to kick the tires before they decide whether to drop ~$30M on him (which I frankly think is a bit high for a player like Weston).
interesting...might negotiations have resulted in the unicorn that is a better deal for all sides? Assuming the buy option is related to avoiding relegation, and there is a loan fee; Juve get some cash immediately, lock in a good payday if the probable (avoiding relegation) happens, and potentially stoke a bidding war if WM plays well in the PL but Leeds go down. Leeds get the help they need now without being saddled by a big salary and having spent a ton on the transfer fee if the go down (and WM plays poorly, resulting in low transfer offers). WM gets the payday, EPL and a place in the shop window in case Leeds go down. If they stay up, he's in the best league in the world on a team that has been spending for the future. Actually, I thin another big winner in this would be Aaronson, who gets to play with somebody that will raise the level and potentially be a positive force in helping him find his groove emotionally.
Honestly by the end of the year if Leeds finishes say 16th in the EPL and Juve finishes say 7th in Serie A, the prestige difference is almost in name only. All the financial resources of another EPL season will catapult Leeds and the financial consequences of Juve's mismanagement will come home to roost in the offseason. Granted, Juve still has all the titles, but the past is past for these young athletes that have a decade or so to make an impact.
Tyler took a big step down from a Champion's League club in a top-5 league to go to relegation-threatened Leeds, and I think it's worked out pretty well.
That's kind of a silly question. Obviously I don't think he has the skillset that would make him a ~$30M player. I assume you disagree.