Angus Kinear has revealed how Leeds United turned down multiple offers for players in the summer any other Championship club would’ve been forced into accepting.
Kinnear was taking part in his yearly interview on the Square Ball in which he was pressed on a range of topics at Elland Road after a topsy, turvy summer to say the least.
The Leeds chief delved into detail about the club’s transfer strategy across the most recent window, sharing how they were turned down by Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia.
Manchester City’s James McAtee and Liverpool’s Fabio Carvalho were also on the list according to Kinnear, but it was the players who left Leeds which was more of a pressing concern.
Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter all moved on for big money, but according to Kinnear, there could have been more.
Kinnear shares what Leeds did with Wilfried Gnonto
It is difficult for Leeds supporters to look at the window positively in terms of who was retained, as no one would have ever imagined that three would have to leave.
No club in world football turned over more a profit in the summer than Leeds, with Kinnear revealing on the Square Ball Podcast the plan was for two big names to leave.
However, Kinnear has suggested more of their key men could quite easily have followed Gray, Summerville and Rutter out of Elland Road.
He says Leeds turned down offers for Wilfried Gnonto that not a single other club at this level would have had the financial capability to do. There were reports in early August that Everton saw a £23 million bid knocked back.
He said: “The financial commitment the 49ers have made is huge, and that is helping us retain lots of the players we have retained. We turned down offers for Willy Gnonto that any other Championship club would categorically would have accepted.”
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Kinnear says Leeds also turned down other offers
According to Kinnear, Gnonto was not the only player Leeds rejected bids for as he claimed as many as four or five others were also the subject of interest.
He specifically name dropped Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu as those where offers in excess of £10 million arrived for.
He said: “We turned down offers for four or five other players all in excess of £10 million, and again most other Championship clubs would’ve been forced into accepting. Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu are not Championship players.
“All of those players were retained because of the way the 49ers have structured their investment with multiple stakeholders to create an environment where we sustain the highest wage bill I think the Championship has ever seen.”
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