Everton and Leeds United situation ‘crazy’ as Willy Gnonto, Jack Harrison transfers chased amid reported £100m legal threat
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Everton and Leeds United both have to continue with their transfer business without keeping an eye on the profit and sustainability hearing at the centre of reported upset, says Kevin Campbell.
The Premier League referral over a single alleged breach, denied by the club, is not set to be heard by an independent commission until 25 October [BBC Sport], while a 16 May Daily Mail report claimed the Whites were “furious” about the situation and were prepared to sue for £100million if relegated at the Toffees’ expense should the hearing eventually find in the league’s favour.
However, the transfer window has seen various reported interactions between the two since Leeds went down, with Everton after Willy Gnonto and Jack Harrison among others, and Campbell admits it is a “crazy” situation when nobody knows what the outcome will be.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News the Sky Sports pundit said: “You can’t run your business on ‘maybe’. You’re in the closed season and you’ve got to try and strengthen your squad.
“The authorities aren’t going to mark your card because that would be out in the news, so Everton have to just try and conduct their business the best they can until they find out what’s going on.
“You’ve got to understand that once it’s gone legal that’s that. At the end of the day business is business.
“Leeds have to prepare for life in the Championship because here’s the crazy thing, nobody knows what’s going to happen with this hearing.
“So Leeds have to adjust their business and if they’ve got to get players off the wage bill that’s what they’ve got to try and do.
“So whatever happens with the case, leave that to the lawyers.”
Having missed out on Rodrigo, the Gnonto push appears to still be live as he and fellow Toffees targets Harrison and Crysencio Summerville are apparently pushing to leave Elland Road.
An enquiry has also been made on Tyler Adams, and while there has evidently been no deals between the two clubs so far, it would suggest the legal threat was wide of the mark for them to even be interacting at this stage.
Everton seem to be after cheaper deals thanks to the relegation that is central to the supposed fury in West Yorkshire, so while it can’t be ruled out until the October hearing is passed it doesn’t seem like Leeds are currently raging at the Toffees in the way previously suggested.
In other Everton news, Fabrizio Romano’s update on talks set to collapse have handed the Toffees a late hijack opportunity for a player they’ve wanted to sign for months.