Leeds United were warned about failing investment Rodrigo Moreno a year ago amid ‘huge loss’ - YEP 14/7/23
Leeds United were warned about potentially losing money on one of their big investments a year ago.
By Jamie Kemble
Leeds United were warned about missing on their signing of
Rodrigo Moreno more than a year ago amid their reported huge loss on the
forward.
Rodrigo signed for Leeds in 2020 for an initial fee of
around £27million, while there were also said to have been add-ons paid to
Valencia. The Spaniard went on to score 26 goals in 88 Premier League games,
and he finished last season as the club’s top scorer.
Opinions will be divided on whether Rodrigo lived up to the
billing after arriving as the club’s record signing at the time, but the
forward did show more fight than most during the club’s relegation season of
last.
Dropping down to the Championship was never on the
Spaniard’s list of plans, though, and it the Whites were never likely to pay
his wages after suffering relegation. In fact, Rodrigo has a relegation clause
that allows him to leave the club on the cheap due to relegation, and reports
claim that clause is as little as £3million. Rodrigo has joined Qatari side
Al-Rayyan, who have taken advantage of the lowly clause.
After spending £27million to sign Rodrigo, it’s quite the
business slip-up from now former recruitment chief Victor Orta, with Leeds
losing £24million on a player who finished last season as top scorer. But Leeds
were warned about potentially losing their investment by former star Neil Aspin
back in the summer of 2022.
“He is a player that was signed for a lot of money, has a
big reputation”, Aspin told Leeds Live. “I’m not one who wants to criticise
players, but he hasn’t done enough since he’s been here.”
Aspin added: “ We’re expecting more from him. Every time he
starts a game, we are expecting something from him. He’s got some ability, but
he hasn’t produced it often enough in a Leeds shirt.”
Of course, Rodrigo went on to enjoy a solid season of last,
but that only worsened the feeling of losing money for Leeds, who would have
been able to command a good fee had the clause not been in place.