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Leeds: Bailey makes Jack Harrison future claim
Journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Jack Harrison’s future with Leeds United is very much ‘up in the air’ and accused Jesse Marsch of mismanaging him.
The Lowdown: Failed move
Harrison almost secured a move away from Elland Road on transfer deadline day, but Marsch’s side would pull the plug late on even though the player had begun a medical.
Would-be recipients Leicester City had already sanctioned loan moves for Ayoze Perez and Marc Albrighton, so Brendan Rodgers was likely disappointed by the last-minute decision made by the Whites.
Harrison has only scored one league goal this season, but has produced four assists in 17 games for Leeds.
The Latest: Bailey makes Harrison claim
Bailey believes that Harrison could be coming towards the end of his time at Elland Road and even believes he won’t sign a new deal with the club.
Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, he stated: “His future is very much up in the air now. Is he going to feature in this Leeds team? He’s been in and out and I have not been a fan of the way Marsch has used Jack Harrison.
“I thought he was a very, very good player. Maybe not a 9/10, but he was a 7, 8/10 every week on that left-hand side.
“He was close to the England squad at one point. Then suddenly, he had this thing of playing him inside and on the right, this modern obsession with some managers – square pegs in round holes.
“I think Jesse Marsch has ruined him a little bit in the last few months, I really do. Leeds are trying to get him to a new deal but I don’t see it now. I’ll be surprised if he signs a new deal.”
The Verdict: Signs of an exit
We believe that Harrison could well leave Leeds in the near future, as they’re already assembling future attacking recruits.
In the last two transfer windows, the Whites look to be shaping their future attack for years to come. Wilfried Gnonto, Luis Sinisterra and Georginio Rutter have all come in through the door since the start of the season.
In our view, that could mean that Marsch doesn’t have Harrison in his plans for the starting XI – he clearly didn’t even want him in the squad until a late change of heart on deadline day.
The winger is someone that we believe could offer a lot to a number of top clubs, as he’s still got a lot of years to give and could operate out wide for a number of years to come. He also has plenty of top-flight experience, with the 26-year-old nearing a century of Premier League appearances.
Meanwhile, pundit Noel Whelan has described Harrison as a ‘brilliant player’ and ‘clinical’ in the past when talking to Football Insider.
With the likes of Leicester and Newcastle United sniffing around him in recent times, our view is Harrison wouldn’t find it difficult to find a new club should he decide to leave Leeds in the near future.
