Sheffield Wednesday capitalised on Leeds United, Massimo Cellino indecision to land Hillsborough cult hero — Football League World 11/5/25

By Joe Stephenson

The year is 2015. Summer is in full swing and so is the transfer window, with clubs across the land vying to pull off that one deal that could determine the next 10 months.

Leeds United were fresh off the back of a dismal Championship campaign, finishing 15th and 22 points shy of the play-offs. As a result, they decided firepower in forward areas would become the message of the day and subsequently approached Watford’s Fernando Forestieri.

The forward had just helped the Hornets achieve promotion to the top-flight but didn’t look set to feature much in the Premier League, so was open to exploring a move to Elland Road.

All signs looked like they were pointing towards Forestieri joining the Whites, but suddenly, the deal was off.

“I will not sign them” – Massimo Cellino’s Fernando Forestieri stance may have cost Leeds United dearly

But why? It couldn’t have been doubts over his ability, as he had displayed fine creative tendencies during his time at Vicarage Road, scoring 21 goals in 91 appearances.

No, it was former Leeds owner Massimo Cellino, who took a dislike to the forward’s mentality.

The Italian had sensed something he didn’t appreciate within the Watford forward, and wouldn’t budge on his stance. Speaking to the club’s website, Cellino explained his reasoning in more depth.

“We decided on Tuesday we would not be signing Forestieri; it was clear he didn't have the right mentality needed," Cellino told Leeds' media team - as per the BBC.

"I want players to show a hunger and desire to come here - but he did not.

"It was not about the money. A player could cost £3m, £5m or be a free transfer, but if their mentality isn't right then I will not sign them for Leeds."

During this time, Sheffield Wednesday had caught wind of the deal going sour and in just a matter of days, had managed to jump in and secure Forestieri’s services.

From there, the rest is history.

Fernando Forestieri became one of the great Wednesday players in modern times and made Leeds United look silly

The forward went on to become a modern legend with the Owls, endearing himself to the supporters’ hearts immediately.

During his first season in South Yorkshire, Forestieri netted 15 goals and provided seven assists as the club reached the play-off final, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League.

Scoring in a victory over Leeds made the campaign even sweeter, with the Whites and Cellino the ones with egg on their faces after passing up on the attacker.

Forestieri would post another brilliant season during the 2016/17 campaign, scoring 12 and assisting five, as the Owls once again reached the play-offs, but it would be promotion heartbreak for the Steel City side two years in a row after losing out to Huddersfield Town.

From there, Forestieri’s influence on the side began to dip and he struggled to reach the lofty heights of his first two seasons with Wednesday.

However, he did still show glimpses of his quality during the latter part of his stint with the Owls, most notably with the stunning long-range strike he scored in the 2-2 draw at Norwich in April 2019, but after an injury-hit few years, and he was released at the end of his contract in the summer of 2020.

In the end, Cellino’s call was ill-judged and one that ultimately set Leeds back.

Whilst Forestieri helped fire Wednesday to the play-offs, the Whites languished in 13th, a damning indictment of the club’s governance at the time.

Soon Celino would leave Leeds, and the club slowly began to make their way back up the Championship table, eventually achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2020.

Although the Owls began to slip in the opposite direction, they were undisputed victors in the Forestieri saga.

Swooping in where Leeds had left off, they spotted his potential, harnessed it, and used the winger’s ability to their advantage.

Since leaving Hillsborough, Forestieri made a shock return to Udinese and a surprise move to Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim, where he netted 25 goals and provided 13 assists in 32 appearances during his first term with the club.

Forestieri was recently spotted back in Sheffield, playing at Hillsborough in a charity game, highlighting his strong feeling for the club.

The love between the two parties will always be reciprocated and although Leeds lost out – Sheffield Wednesday inherited one incredible talent.