At the conclusion of the 2022–2023 season, Leeds United experienced a significant summer of transition as they were demoted from the Premier League and returned to the Championship.
In July of last year, 49ers Enterprises formally concluded their takeover of the team from Andrea Radrizzani, who had served as the principal owner since 2017.
They took over during a challenging time as they had to manage the return to football in the second division, and they seem to have handled it masterfully.
Following his appointment, German head coach Daniel Farke has led Leeds to second place in the Championship, putting the team on track to return to the top division.
Along with losing Tyler Adams and Rodrigo on permanent contracts, the 49ers also had to contend with a number of first-team players going out on loan, including Jack Harrison, Robin Koch, Max Wober, Rasmus Kristensen, and Marc Roca.
It’s unclear if any of the players who were sent out on loan at the beginning of the season will be back at Elland Road come summertime.
Though Harrison has adapted well to life in the Premier League with Everton, it was recently reported by Football Insider that he hopes to finalize a permanent move out of Yorkshire at the end of the current campaign.
There is no agreement between Sean Dyche’s team and the Whites to sign him permanently because the Toffees moved quickly last year to capture his services on loan without a buyout option.
According to reports, the English winger does not want to play for Leeds even if Farke’s team is promoted from the Championship. Instead, he wants to stay in the Premier League until the 2024–2025 season and beyond.
However, Football Insider continued, “How much the Toffees are willing to pay for Harrison could be impacted by Everton’s impending takeover from 777 Partners.”
Leeds can seek elsewhere and offer the former Manchester City prospect to interested parties should they bring more money to the table than the Merseyside outfit, as there is no option to buy under the loan agreement.
Given how much the team originally paid to get him, the 49ers might strike it rich this summer by cashing in on him given his recent surge in market value.
Harrison was signed by the Whites in the summer of 2021 for a whopping £11 million from Premier League powerhouse Manchester City, where he never played a game.
Following three years on loan at Elland Road, two of which were played in the Championship under Marcelo Bielsa, the talented winger made the move.
With four goals and three assists in 37 league games, he had a lackluster debut season with the team in the second division.
But Harrison bounced back, scoring six goals and dishing out eight assists in 46 games as Leeds won the championship under Bielsa’s leadership and were promoted to the Premier League.
The gifted kid then had a big impact in the top division, contributing eight goals and eight assists in 36 games during the 2020–21 season.
The Leeds player was efficient in front of goal, as the above data shows, with more goals than “big chances” wasted. It’s possible that he became irritated with his teammates for not capitalizing on the opportunities he provided.
His play was good enough to get the Whites to spend £11 million on him, and it was a wise decision because his worth has increased since then.
When Harrison’s loan was extended, he continued to be a consistent starter for the Yorkshire-based team in the 2022–2023 campaign.
In 32 games during the first season, he scored eight goals, one assist, and three “big chances.” In 34 starts the following season, he scored five goals, seven assists, and nine “big chances” generated.
His transfer to Everton occurred last summer when Leeds were demoted from the Premier League due to his offensive contributions not being sufficient to keep the team afloat.
As of today, February 29, 2024, FootballTransfers estimates his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) to be an incredible €34 million, or almost £29 million.
This indicates that from the original £11 million Leeds paid Manchester City to acquire his services over three years ago, his value has increased by 164%.
Leeds may be able to make a lot of money this summer by selling him for a significant profit on that £11 million cost, whether to Everton or another team, given his skyrocketing market worth.
Harrison does want to stay in the Premier League and leave the Whites permanently, according to the aforementioned Football Insider article. This implies that a move at the end of the season could happen. But it’s unclear how much a team will be willing to spend for him specifically.
He has had a good season thus far with the Toffees and, since moving to Merseyside, has provided Dyche with a respectable threat at the top of the pitch.
The 27-year-old winger has made 19 Premier League starts and has scored three goals, provided three assists, and created five “big chances.” Journalist Joe Thomas praised the player as “relentless” earlier this season.
Harrison is currently in the top 21% of Premier League midfielders in terms of assists (0.17) per 90, and in the top 20% for non-penalty goals (0.17).
This indicates that so far this season, he has performed above average for the Toffees both as a goal scorer and a goal creator from a midfield position.
If the 49ers can fetch a high price from Everton or another team for the exceptional speedster, who has established himself as a dependable player in the Premier League, they could strike gold with Harrison’s current market worth in the summer.
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