This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Leeds celebrated their centenary on Thursday. It presented fans with a chance to relive past glories, to look forward to what might be to come and to simply talk about their beloved club.
But what could happen in the future is a grim reality, one that could well put Andrea Radrizzani out of his job if he’s not careful.
It might be a sad thought but amidst promising talk of QSI potentially investing again, the Italian owner revealed something that has not only put himself under huge pressure but also Leeds as a football club and as a business.
It’s no secret that mistakes have been made, Radrizzani even admitted he’d perhaps handed out long-term contracts to those who didn’t deserve it in an interview with The Times this week.
The fact Leeds had to ship 31 players out over the summer was all the evidence you needed of how many players were on their books.
But it wasn’t the talk of past mistakes or indeed of Qatari investment that was something to worry about – instead, it was the salary of those still at the club.
Angus Kinnear has previously told the BBC about just how significantly the wage bill has grown since Radrizzani entered west Yorkshire but it’s still at a huge level and one that simply isn’t feasible going forward.
The Leeds owner said this week: “It’s financially not sustainable to keep this level of salary which is now over £30m, probably £33m with Marcelo and closer to £40m with the coaches.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s salary hasn’t been a mistake, in fact investing in a high-class manager has allowed Leeds to even be in the conversation for a place in the Premier League.
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He has taken Leeds beyond mid-table mediocrity but there is only so long they can go at this level of investment without facing some large consequences.
Profit and sustainability played a large part in the Whites not signing anyone permanently last summer and it even had a role in the sale of central defender Pontus Jansson.
But because of the current salary, Radrizzani is under huge pressure to ensure promotion is delivered this season and no later. He is the man who makes the decisions behind the scenes but ultimately it is up to Bielsa and the players to make sure it happens.
The current wage levels dictate that if it doesn’t occur they could be left in a spot of bother. A potential £170m awaits in the top-flight and achieving Premier League status would likely attract the interest of QSI even more.
However, commentator Adam Pope spoke last month about how Radrizzani may be gone within a year and indeed if they don’t go up this is a real possibility.
There is only so much he can pump into Leeds and without added investment from going up, sustaining the current salary at the stage it’s at for the time being simply isn’t possible.
If Leeds can’t achieve promotion on a high budget, it seems unlikely they’d manage it with lower cash reserves.
It’s probably now or never for Radrizzani. The pressure is certainly on.
