Leeds United could lose their two stars Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha for around £60 million owing to relegation release clauses in their contracts, according to sources around the club.
The clauses mean that if Leeds United do not avoid relegation this season and finds themselves in the Championship the following season, their top players in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha could leave the club for around £30 million each. Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is said to have inserted such release clauses in the contracts of most of the club’s top players.
Other players with similar clauses in their summer contracts include Patrick Bamford, Illan Meslier, and Jack Harrison. There is already a lot of interest in Leeds’ players from European and English clubs, but the club has resisted the interest by demanding humongous fees to let their star players leave. If Leeds are in the Championship next season, with the release clauses in place, this negotiating tactic will be useless.
Jesse Marsch could see plenty of departures this summer, with the American facing one of the most difficult battles of his managerial career with the Peacocks standing seventeenth in the league table, having played one more game than Everton, who are 18th and trail by just a point.
What next for Kalvin Phillips & Raphinha if Leeds goes down?
Kalvin Phillips has already attracted interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool as a result of his outstanding performances for England at the Euros and for Leeds last season. The 26-year-old drew a lot of interest throughout the summer, but the 80 million price tag set by Leeds was regarded too high by the interested clubs. Phillips current deal isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2024.
If Leeds fails to survive the relegation scrap this season, the player will be available for less than half the sum Leeds quoted to prospective teams if the release clause is triggered. When a team activates a release clause, the parent club has very little say over the player’s future, and the player almost always decides to leave. It’s impossible to say no to either of the Manchester clubs or Liverpool or Mikel’s Arsenal when they come calling. The midfielder has shown he can play in the Champions League and could choose to take the next step in his career by joining one of the big teams rather than playing in the Championship next season.
Raphinha, on the other hand, has attracted a lot of interest from FC Barcelona, who are said to be close to signing the Brazilian winger with personal terms already agreed between the player and the club. Though the Spanish club are yet to open any talks with Leeds as they are demanding close to 80 million for their star to leave and the Blaugrana club have no intention of spending that much owing to their financial position.
Chelsea also wanted to sign the winger in January but a deal didn’t materialize. Current uncertainties with the club facing sanctions mean it will be too late for the Blues to compete with Barcelona. The relegation release clause will be good news for Barcelona, but for Elland Road – they’d be screaming at the top of their lungs for Jesse to do the job!
