Leeds United are on the verge of returning to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.
The Whites currently sit top of the Championship with just nine games to go, and if they can avoid a late capitulation a place in the top-flight will be theirs.
Promotion to the Premier League means a lot more than it did last time United were playing at the top-level as the ridiculous amount each team receives from the TV deal means that there are untold riches in England’s top division.
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The idea of spending big in the summer must have United fans licking their lips, but the truth is that a lot of that cash may have already been wasted on lacklustre talent by Director of Football Victor Orta.
We all know that Helder Costa will cost United £15m in the summer, but two other clauses could be triggered that see United spend another £23.1m on top of that.
Jean-Kevin Augustin will become a United player permanently if the Whites go up for a fee of €21m (£18.1m), so that will take up a large chunk of United’s promotion windfall, while Illan Meslier will join permanently for £5m after playing 10 games if they achieve promotion.
With Phil Hay predicting that Casilla doesn’t have a future at Leeds, it’s not implausible that we see the Frenchman in goal from now until the end of the season.
Of course, spending big upon promotion is an exciting prospect, but these players have done very little to justify the fees that Leeds may have to spend on them.
Augustin has played just 49 minutes since joining Leeds in January, and paying an eight-figure sum for a player the manager seemingly has no use for is nothing short of foolish, but due to Orta’s poor foresight, United may well be forced to shell out for the Frenchman.
It’s a similar story for Costa, who has been underwhelming in his own right, contributing to just five league goals all season and consistently being criticised by the fanbase for his poor performances.
The signs point towards Meslier coming good after keeping clean sheets in each of his first two League games, but paying £5m for any player after just ten games of action may be a risk that could backfire.
Leeds will undoubtedly be buzzing when they go up, but Orta will have failed them massively if they end up spending £38.1m on a trio who are yet to prove that they’re worth those fees.
Fingers crossed United can make the most of the rest of their summer transfer budget.
In other news, Phil Hay has predicted a summer departure for one player.