Leeds United’s work in the transfer market is playing a big factor in pushing them towards promotion to the Premier League, but rewind 30 years ago and Leeds came close to a blockbuster signing.
Since Daniel Farke has arrived at Elland Road, Leeds have brought in players like Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Manor Solomon and Joel Piroe. It has played a big part in Farke’s success.
The transfer market always plays a key role and a degree of luck is required for things to work. Victor Orta was excellent in identifying young players but his last 12 months at Leeds were nothing short of abysmal.
But almost 30 years ago back in 1987, Leeds United were in talks to pull off what would remain as the club’s biggest-ever signing as then-chairman Bill Fotherby held talks over a deal to sign Diego Maradona.
Fotherby shared how close Leeds came to signing Maradona
Fotherby is an iconic member in Leeds’ history, working with the club from 1978 in different positions including board member, managing director and then chairman for a year between 1996 and 1997.
Fotherby told The Mail in 2017 before his death in 2019 that he held talks with Diego Maradona’s agent Jon Smith in 1987. Maradona was in England to play in an exhibition game for the World XI vs England.
Maradona was halfway through his wonderful spell at Napoli where he became a club legend with the Italian side. Fotherby recalls having lunch with Smith, only for a deal to fall through as it hit the media.
Fotherby recalled: “Jon said, ‘Bill, you couldn’t afford Maradona. No chance. Do you realise that you’re talking £8m?’. Everyone thought we were crazy. But I got Smith up to Leeds and we had lunch in the box.
“Looking onto the pitch, he said: ‘Look Bill, we’re bringing him [Maradona] over for a match between England and the World XI. Now, the possibilities of him having a game at Leeds… what could you do?”
“I said we could fix it up with the city council, make it a big do. ‘But it mustn’t leak out.’ We have dinner after dropping him off. There are two people I know there, big Leeds fans. ‘We saw you at the airport.
“‘Who are you going to sign?’ I said, ‘think of Evita’. Soon we were getting calls about Maradona. Arsenal and Tottenham are asking: “Are you going for b****y Maradona? Where have you got the money from?”‘
Bill Fotherby’s best bits of business during his Leeds United era
Probably his best bit of work was signing an unknown Frenchman by the name of Eric Cantona, when it came to the transfer market. Helping Leeds win the last Division One title, he then sold Cantona.
Fotherby also oversaw the appointment of Harold Wilkinson as manager, after a string of former players managing Leeds which ultimately ended in failure including the likes of Billy Bremner and Allan Clarke.
Wilkinson won the second division title in 1990 and two years later, Leeds were champions of England. Tony Dorigo, Gordon Strachan, Rod Wallace, Gary McAllister and David O’Leary were signed on his watch.
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