The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 8th December)

Good Morning. It's Thursday 8th December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


I had doubts about joining Leeds - Gakpo

Speaking ahead of Holland's quarter-final clash against Argentina tomorrow night, Cody Gakpo has revealed he had doubts about joining Leeds last Summer, which ultimately scuppered the deal. With 20 goals (three from the World Cup), and 15 assists so far this season, it seems the 23yo is destined for a top Champions League club. He plans to enlist God's help before making a decision, but has not ruled out a move to Old Trafford!

“I haven’t heard from Manchester United yet. If they come, I will think about it with God’s help,” “I thought about Man Utd last summer, but when that didn’t happen, I didn’t know anymore. Then Leeds arrived, I had doubts… now I wait and see.”

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German newspaper reveals true cost of JKA arrangement

German News outlet 'Bild' have revealed the true financial impact the 'Jean-Kevin Augustin debarkle has had on Leeds Utd. Not only will they have to pay the full €21m, but have also been sent an invoice for €340,000, relating to interest.

Fortunately, due to good relations they have with Victor Orta, Leipzig have agreed a payment plan, meaning Leeds can pay back their German counterparts in manageable chunks.

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Gyabi loving life at Leeds

Speaking from Leeds training ground in Alicante, Darko Gyabi has given his first interview, since leaving the Emirates in the Summer in a £5m deal, which saw Kalvin Phillips heading the other way. At 18yo, Gyabi is far from the finished article, but continuous to work hard on the training pitch and learn from the more experienced midfielders.

“Not just Tyler, but Marc, Klichy, all the midfielders,” “Learning, just learning the little details like where their positioning is when we don’t have the ball and when we do have the ball the spaces they’re picking up to receive."

“So crazy it was so welcoming,” “When I first came I wasn’t really expecting it because they’re all first-team established, but they were so welcoming showing me around the training ground.” “Like checking their shoulders, scanning, trying to receive and turn and play forwards. That stuff and trying to take it all in.”

There's no doubt Gyabi has bags of potential, but with his only appearance this season coming in the League Cup (against Wolves last month), surely a loan move in January would suit all parties, where he can be playing first team football every week?

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Leeds star relives horror smash that broke his neck

For the first time since breaking his neck back in August, Dani van den Heuvel has opened up about the car accident which almost ended his life. Heuvel was a passenger in a car (along with three other players and a staff member) that had to swerve to avoid an oncoming vehicle, only to smash into a traffic pole, leaving him unconscious with multiple injuries.

It's taken a while, but the 19yo returned to training last month, and recently took part in a friendly against Valencia (for the U21's).

"It was a bad, bad crash. There was one staff member and three other players in the car. We were driving on the main road and someone tried to cross the road from a side road." "We had to avoid him, so our driver steered right. We drove into a traffic pole. I was unlucky that I was in the middle backseat so I was the only one who didn’t get an airbag. I was the worst injured."

"I was unconscious. After the impact, I can’t remember anything. I woke up in the car. The car was smoking, beeping. There was glass everywhere. I remember my jaw was really painful, my neck just felt really stiff. It was scary." "Did I worry for my life? Yes, definitely. That quick moment when everything goes dark, when I think back about it, it is just like an empty space. It was a terrifying experience."

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Morning all. Hard to get past the fact that probably several transfer windows will now be impacted by that disgraceful signing. Surely saved enough in last few windows to pay it up and get it over and done with. Terrible terrible management in the whole debacle

 

is this a confession il Presidente? Father Milkyboy is here - ready for you to repent your sins.

 

I know you don’t like our board but ffs stop choosing the media clickbait headline over truth. BILD know Fa all as there is an NDA involved for both parties. The probability is that they get nowhere near the £18.5m transfer fee simply because of the legal action being pondered and in a real courtroom situation Leeds we’re on firm ground. It would have cost the Germans plenty to fight it and could end up costing them. It seems more likely that a happy medium has been agreed that gets the Germans some cash and it may even involve an insurance settlement that actually costs the club nothing. We dont know and nobody knows is the real answer mate

 

You never pay the full amount/full terms in a compromise agreement. Otherwise why bother agreeing one. Legal teams will have been haggling settlement terms since this saga began. Leipzig wait until the court hearings go in their favour as it strengthens their hand. All Leeds had left was to threaten to keep appealing and tie up in red tape. So we will have better payment terms and/or lower overall fee to pay. How much better? Given the CAS ruling went in their favour, you’d imagine terms probably not that much better… but Who knows. The nda’s in these things are pretty tight for a reason.

 

Looks like I got away with it again. Managed to keep nearly everyone on board a year ago most predicted I’d win the feckin case

 

They won and we lost that tells me we pay up and on their terms.

 

I hope we have left players like wood behind and try for better.. But what we wasted on fat kev.. Dan james and junior asprin i seriously doubt it.

 

Gyabi, signed for the future not as a shoe in 1st teamer.
Let him train and learn with the 1st team and play for the U21s.
I can't see any point loaning him out to a lesser quality team.