Leeds United surprised many of their supporters by choosing to sell Ronaldo Vieira this summer.
After two hugely impressive wins against two of the pre-season promotion favourites in the Championship, it is difficult to argue that Leeds have not got all of the major decisions right since they decided to appoint Marcelo Bielsa earlier in the summer. However, that has not always been the case.
One of the most notable calls the club made in recent months was the decision to sell Ronaldo Vieira to Sampdoria. The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that the Serie A side paid more than £7 million for the midfielder – and it appeared that many of the fans were divided on the decision.
Some felt that Vieira was one of the brightest prospects at the club and selling for anything less than an astronomical figure was going to prove to be a mistake in the coming years. However, Vieira’s form last season coupled with his struggles with injury tempted some to suggest that the Whites were right to cash in.
It is going to be a number of years before it is decided whether selling Vieira for around £7 million was a mistake or not, but perhaps it has become a lot easier to see the situation from Leeds’ perspective given the emergence of the latest academy starlet at the club.
Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich have been sensational in midfield in the opening two games, and Saturday’s win over Derby hinted that Bielsa’s magic now appears to be rubbing off on another member of the squad as Jamie Shackleton was handed his first-team debut during the second-half.
Shackleton looked more than comfortable in the game, seemingly having no problem replicating his impressive pre-season and under-23 performances against the Rams. And he has quickly been rewarded with a new contract with the Whites.
Shackleton’s emergence will probably not surprise many who have been following the youth sides in recent years, but few could have imagined that he would transform himself into an important first-team squad player as quickly as he has.
It is still too soon to suggest whether he will be able to fill the void that Vieira has left, but his form since the start of the summer provides another hint that Leeds may have actually made the right decision accepting Sampdoria’s seven-figure bid.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
