Oliver Sarkic’s time away from Leeds United is not exactly going to plan, with the forward barely featuring out in Spain.
With Leeds deciding to convert Oliver Sarkic’s loan into a permanent deal at the start of this year and offering the forward a contract that is set to run until 2020 – and could be extended by a further year (via club’s official website) – it appears that the Whites once had extremely high hopes for the Montenegro under-21 international.
Unfortunately for the former Benfica youngster, things do not appear to have gone to plan during his Elland Road spell. Few probably envisaged Ryan Edmondson moving so rapidly through the youth ranks after signing a few months Sarkic after had arrived on loan.
Sam Dalby also added to the competition for under-23 chances in the same month that Sarkic penned his permanent deal, while Tyler Roberts arrived just before that deadline.
And with Marcelo Bielsa adding Patrick Bamford to his cluster of striker options over the summer, it seemed to make a lot of sense to send Sarkic out on loan.
Spanish third tier side Barakaldo was picked as his destination, and the Yorkshire Evening Post suggested shortly after his departure that he may be one of the players that may be playing for his future with Andrea Radrizzani keen to cut numbers within the under-23 ranks after an almost relentless recruitment drive during Victor Orta’s first season at Elland Road.
With many Leeds fans probably having no knowledge of Barakaldo CF before Sarkic’s loan exit – the Basque club have never been in Spain’s top flight and last appeared in the second tier in 1981 – the pressure certainly appears to be on the forward.
He is going to have to do incredibly well to make Bielsa sit up and take notice given the level that he finds himself at, especially with an impressive striker pecking order forming at Leeds this season.
But as things stand, it would appear that Sarkic may need a turnaround that is nothing short of miraculous to prove to his parent club that he is a player that should be kept even if the club attempt a major overhaul.
Sarkic is yet to start a single game for Barakaldo in the league, and a 13-minute cameo at the weekend was his first appearance of the campaign to date. Needless to say, he is yet to open his account in front of goal.
Sarkic has had injury problems in the past and Barakaldo appear to have taken a cautious approach with introducing him into the team. But his lack of game-time still has to be a concern.
Playing for a high-flying side in the third division should give Sarkic the platform to take the division by storm – which he arguably needs to do with Leeds’ attack looking more well-rounded than it has for a number of years. Unfortunately, his start in Spain is leaving him with a mountain to climb as he tries to prove a point to his parent club.
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