Leeds United have a big Jack Harrison-sized problem to solve in the summer. The winger left the Whites to join Everton on loan in 2023 after Leeds got relegated from the Premier League even though he signed a new deal with the club a few months prior. Everton have an option to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer but the Toffees have decided against taking it up. For now, it seems, Harrison will return to Leeds at the end of the season, which is set to open a can of worms for the club.
Harrison was a key player under Marcelo Bielsa and played a vital role in getting Leeds promoted to the Premier League in 2020. He excelled in the top flight as well but his form deteriorated towards the end as the club hurtled back towards the Championship.
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He has not been the same player for a while and only scored his first goal of the season last weekend in Everton’s 1-1 draw at Wolves, which shows his lack of output in the ongoing campaign.
David Moyes wants to sign a winger with Manor Solomon on Everton’s radar but has no plans to secure Harrison on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window.
The winger will most likely return to Leeds, where the fans are not ready to welcome him back because of the way he left the club immediately after their relegation.
A return to the MLS has been discussed but clubs in the United States are expected to find it hard to meet his current wage demands and it seems unlikely at the moment.
Former Leeds United star provides his two cents to the Jack Harrison situation
Harrison has not been at Leeds for nearly two seasons and has shown little interest in returning to Elland Road.
If Leeds get promoted to the Premier League, a return to Elland Road is a possibility but it is unlikely the fans will find it easy to forgive him for the way he escaped Elland Road.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robison conceded that Harrison might want to return to Leeds if they get promoted to the Premier League and Daniel Farke has shown that he can reintegrate players who left the club on loan following their relegation.
However, he insisted that in reality, it is increasingly likely that his future lies away from Leeds given the circumstances under which he left the club initially.
“Will he want to come back to Leeds? Only if they’re in the Premier League. Will Leeds take him back? Yes, he would be a good addition to the squad”, Robinson told MOT Leeds News.
“Daniel Farke has proven that he’s done that. You look at Wober, you look at Aaronson this season. He’s brought them back against maybe some feeling that the fans had at the start of the season. So, is the door closed for him? No, the door’s not closed.
“Can I see a return realistically? No, I think his future lies elsewhere.”
Harrison has an uphill task if he wants to return to Leeds
Brenden Aaronson has had to work his socks off this season before the fans decided to forgive him for leaving Leeds on loan following their relegation in 2023.
Max Wober has had an uneasy relationship with Daniel Farke this season and has had very few chances even when he was fit to play.
Leeds supporters have found it extremely hard to have any sympathies for players who got them relegated from the Premier League but took the first exit from the club soon.
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Harrison has shown little remorse in leaving Leeds and his performances at Everton this season have also shown that he is not the same player as before.
There is an argument that a winger with Premier League experience would be useful for Leeds if they get promoted back, but the fans won’t accept him back, at least not initially.
It would be an uneasy truce if Harrison returns to Elland Road in the summer and a lot has to go right on the pitch for him to feel the love of the supporters again.
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