Inside Largie Ramazani’s exit to Valencia — frequent phone calls and Leeds United clause truth — Leeds Live 5/9/25
The winger will spend the season on loan at Valencia, but there are deeper reasons Leeds United have omitted a purchase option
By now, many supporters will have seen the comments from
Leeds United managing director Robbie Evans explaining why the club did not
insert a purchase clause in Large Ramazani’s loan to Valencia.
Speaking to Leeds Live and other local media on Tuesday,
Evans said: “We insisted we have the option to bring him back to the club. This
year we've added Jack Harrison and Noah Okafor, making it even harder for him
to get the pitch.
“For him to get the minutes he needs, he's better off
playing in Spain. He's being coached by someone that we know and trust. And we
hope that's good for him and that his future is open here, if that's the right
thing for him.”
So, there is a possible future for Ramazani at Leeds. There
is also further context behind his loan exit, as understood by Leeds Live.
Inside sources have outlined that it was clear quite early
on this summer that there were doubts over what role Ramazani would play in
this year’s squad due to the lack of usage last term.
The 25-year-old enjoyed less than 800 minutes in the
Championship and started only seven league games - his last one coming back in
December. The fight for game time was only going to be harder in the Premier
League, his squad omission against Arsenal indicative of this.
There were also concerns about how he would be able to hold
his own against the strength of the top defenders. Yet, the recruitment team
still holds value in him. They were adamant on not allowing Ramazani to leave
with a purchase option. This was for several reasons, not least that it allows
the club to hold all the cards.
The over-riding hope is that Ramazani’s loan will be a
success and he arrives back in Leeds an improved player. This opens the
opportunity for Ramazani to be reintegrated into Daniel Farke’s squad.
The obvious converse is that should the player wish to leave
permanently after bumping up his market value, Leeds can acquire a better
payback on the PSR books, with the winger contracted until 2028. All the while,
if United do get relegated then Ramazani is a valuable asset regardless of his
success in Catalonia.
Ultimately, the main reason why an option-to-buy clause was
not included is that it would have handed Valencia the power to purchase him
before Leeds were ready to let him to go.
One industry insider outlined how receiving clubs will
typically wish for a purchase option, namely so it gives the player an
incentive to work towards something. But in this case, Leeds do not want to
offload Ramazani just yet.
Interestingly, Leeds kept Valencia at arm’s length for a
little while before sanctioning the loan. Manager Carlos Corberan put in
frequent phone calls, so keen was he.
As a sidebar, Valencia wanted him in slightly earlier to
allow him to acclimatise, which puzzled Leeds chiefs given he arrived from La
Liga barely a year ago.
That Leeds held out on their no-clause stipulation pays
testament to the club’s stance on not allowing Ramazani leave permanently ahead
of time, despite his low pecking order rank.
Daniel Farke has also spoken highly of him, calling him a
“great human being” and wishing him all the best in Spain. “Largie needs
confidence and consistency to bring the best out of him,” he added.
So all figures came to the agreement that it was beneficial
for all parties that he goes and gets regular minutes elsewhere. Many fans will
question why Ramazani was let go without a replacement amid the failure to
bring in another offensive player.
From the club’s point of view, chiefs were disappointed at
not getting an attacker during the final week, although not dismayed. They are
satisfied with the work done and believe they have enough firepower to avoid
relegation, while acknowledging the difficult task at hand.
A sixth winger, the top brass believe, would have indeed
added staunch depth but as for Ramazani himself, it was clear that he was not
going to contribute much this season. Though, that does not necessarily mean he
won't in future campaigns.
