Leeds United receiving 50% sell-on fees for both Elia Caprile and Max Dean, but they are negligible windfalls compared to the talent both are showing on the European stage.
Leeds’ investment into youth signings in previous years brought more misses than hits under Victor Orta, but it wasn’t without it’s merits as a scouting approach.
Plenty of talented players came through the club’s youth system, but very few made a tangible impact on the first team, and most of those who left haven’t brought in worthwhile fees either.
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Max Dean and Elia Caprile shining abroad in Europe for Gent and Napoli
Two that were on the books while Leeds were in the Premier League are striker Max Dean and goalkeeper Elia Caprile.
Neither made a senior competitive appearance for Leeds despite showing their worth in the U21 setup, as Dean was sold to Mark Jackson’s MK Dons on their way to League Two, and Caprile to the Serie B with Bari.
Since then, Dean’s prolific form in the fourth tier earned him an eye-catching move to Belgium’s top flight with Europa Conference League side Gent, while Caprile also made a big leap to then-Serie A title-holders Napoli.
Dean’s form in front of goals hasn’t slowed down despite the drastic jump up in quality, scoring 13 and assisting two already in 26 outings this season – scoring a goal every 96 minutes and earning a “double whammy” of his side’s Player and Goal of the Month prizes:
As for Caprile, he’s had to be patient for the Italian giants, but he made four league appearances earlier this season in the wake of Alex Meret’s injury, where he kept three clean sheets.
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Leeds must start considering buy-back clauses for youngsters
At the time of these sales, not many were losing sleep over Caprile and Dean heading out for a new challenge, because those that were ready for Leeds’ first team were making their way up – Crysencio Summerville perhaps the best example.
When they left Elland Road, both had 50% sell-on clauses included in their respective MK Dons and Bari contracts, which helped Leeds pick up a nice windfall when they moved to much better sides in Europe.
However, the amount of money here that Leeds have been bestowed with isn’t as substantial as a 50% sell-on would seem at face value – after all, a fourth-tier English club and second-tier Italian side aren’t going to command eight-figure fees for their talent.
So it begs the question of whether it was actually worth Leeds’ while to let obviously talented players leave with a measly sell-on the reward for their potential being realised.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa sold Jaden Philogene to Hull City and included a buy-back clause allowing them to match the bid of whichever club would later try to sign the winger, which they did when Ipswich moved for him at £18million.
In letting Philogene go out and prove his abilities, Villa were able to cover themselves for the eventuality that he’d be worth having back, while Leeds have watched two incredibly talented players move onto new opportunities where they are now worth a great deal more than they might have been had Leeds followed a similar business strategy.
If Leeds have the same situation cropping up again with players leaving Leeds for opportunities lower down the ladder, buy-back clause have to be favoured over a sell-on.