Leeds selling Pontus Jansson for £5.5m could be huge error

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Leeds United are reportedly on the verge of selling Pontus Jansson for a fee of just £5.5 million.

While plenty of the Elland Road faithful had a feeling that it would be a surprise if Pontus Jansson began next season as a Leeds player, few were quite prepared for the shock that came towards the end of last week regarding his future.

The Swede has been a cult-hero throughout his time with the Whites, and one of the defining images from last season came when the centre-back was sat against the advertising boards in sheer disbelief after watching Marcelo Bielsa’s side lose the play-off semi-final.

Jansson enjoyed the best campaign of his Leeds career last time out, and it appeared inevitable that the Whites would be fielding Premier League offers for the defender during this window.

So it came as a huge shock when it emerged that Brentford look set to be the team to win the race to land Jansson, with the Yorkshire Evening Post reporting that he is set to cost just £5.5 million.

The report certainly hints that Leeds have looked to find a quick resolution, because selling to the Bees seems to be a gamble, and letting him go for just £5.5 million appears to have the potential to be a huge error.

When Jansson is at his best, there are arguably only a handful of defenders in the league who can claim to be as good as the former Torino man. He is the kind of player who has an ability to turn the momentum of a game with just one full-blooded challenge that is only complete once he has got back on his feet and then initiated a further roar from the stands with a celebration.

There are obviously reasons why Leeds are happy to let him go for the seven-figure fee, and it would be no surprise if there was a lot more speculation to come out about what went on long after the move is complete.

But with plenty of time to go in the transfer window, Leeds still seemingly had an opportunity to hold out for a higher fee that would alleviate some of the disappointment that has hovered over Elland Road in recent days.

Seeing Jansson become a success at Griffin Park was always going to be tough for Leeds fans regardless of the fee. But letting him go for just £5.5 million will be the kind of decision that the board will not be allowed to forget if it backfires.