Danny Mills thinks Leeds United’s Championship rivals and play-off semi-final opponents Norwich City will sell one of their star players as Daniel Farke eyes a reunion.
It is another season of Championship football for Norwich next season after Leeds beat The Canaries in the play-off semi-finals, with one of the best displays of the season coming in the second leg to win 4-0.
Of course, Leeds failed to take advantage of that and eventually lost 1-0 at Wembley to Southampton. The Whites will now be tasked with securing promotion at the second time of asking and are favourites.
That is despite the need to sell at Elland Road and bring in a major profit this summer in terms of player sales in order to balance the books, amid reports the club still owe £190m in past player transfers.
The likes of Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and others are expected to depart and Leeds will be tasked with bringing in cheaper replacements to maintain a profit, and a Norwich star is being targeted.
Danny Mills thinks Norwich will have to cash in on Leeds target
Norwich are about to enter their third consecutive season in The Championship after relegation in Farke’s final year at Carrow Road. There is a major drop off in parachute payments, from second to third year.
Player sales could be a necessity at Carrow Road in the coming weeks and months and Leeds are keen on signing 16-goal striker Josh Sargent, who has been included in USA’s Copa America squad this summer.
Former Leeds defender Mills told FLW he thinks Norwich will need to sell, comparing it Tottenham’s sale of Gareth Bale: “Obviously, he was one of their better players last season, one of their standouts.
“If you can command a big fee sometimes, you have to sacrifice that. Spurs did it with Gareth Bale. If you can sell one and bring four in, sometimes that’s just a good business model. It’s what you have to do.”
Chris Sutton also thinks Leeds target Sargent could be sold
Leeds fans’ memory of Sargent will be the £8m Norwich man, who was signed by Farke at Carrow Road, missing after a mistake from Ethan Ampadu at Elland Road as Illan Meslier pulled off a stunning stop.
But he scored 16 goals last season in a season campaign that was stop-start for Sargent due to injury. Chris Sutton, who came through the ranks at Norwich and is a Canaries fan, thinks Sargent could be sold.
“After a tough season in the Premier League, he was probably wondering whether he had a future at the club. The position has shifted, Norwich will be worrying about keeping him heading into the summer.”
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