Speaking on his Podcast, Phil Hay has been discussing the Jack Harrison saga that unfolded on deadline day.
According to The Athletic, Leicester City came very close to signing Harrison on deadline day as the player geared up for a medical with the Foxes before Leeds pulled the plug on the deal.
Initially, Leicester thought there wasn’t a deal to be done. In fact, Hay says that Leicester believed Harrison was staying due to the fact he played against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup at the weekend – a move that left Leicester very surprised.
Leicester shocked that Harrison played
Hay shared some insight into Harrison and Leicester’s interest.
“Harrison played on Saturday at Accrington and, in hindsight, that surprised Leicester because they were very much getting the impression that a deal might well be done. They saw Harrison playing that game, they weren’t expecting it, they made the assumption he was staying and on Tuesday morning it felt like he wasn’t going to be signed,” Hay said.
Wanted him to stay
Leicester were reportedly shocked that Harrison played at the weekend, but it’s now clear that Leeds, quite simply, wanted the player to stay.
Harrison may have been close to joining Leicester, but the fact that Leeds pulled the plug on the deal goes to show that he remains a part of their plans.
He’ll almost certainly be involved for Jesse Marsch’s side this weekend, and while a move to the King Power Stadium beckoned, he remains at Elland Road for now.
Whether or not a move resurfaces in the summer remains to be seen, but, for now, Harrison remains a key cog in the Leeds United system.
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