Leeds United are expected to sell Charlie Taylor to Burnley… for the same figure Norwich want for Jonny Howson.
According to the Burnley Express, Leeds United defender Charlie Taylor is to join the Clarets, after agreeing personal terms with the Premier League side.
The report states no fee has yet been agreed although Burnley are confident of avoiding tribunal and paying around the £5 million mark.
A tribunal would be an unsatisfactory resolution for both clubs as it could drag on for months. Burnley will not know where they stand, and Leeds would not benefit from an immediate windfall.
Leeds United’s Charlie Taylor
While admirable they want to dig their heels in and maximise Taylor’s value, at this point the Whites are best off cutting their losses, taking what they can get, and spending it on bringing Jonny Howson back to the club.
For Leeds it makes perfect sense, take the money, and spend it right away on re-signing their former club captain.
Norwich’s Jonny Howson celebrates
While it may seem an excessive fee, it isn’t considering other deals being done in the transfer market around Europe, and it would soften the blow of losing one academy star – by showing they now have the power to bring back another.
Burnley know all about the frustrations the tribunal process can bring.
The Guardian reported in April 2016 that Liverpool had been told by a FA tribunal to pay £6.5 million for Danny Ings – 10 months after he left the club for Anfield. Burnley had wanted £10 million.
If Leeds wait until 2018 to get the money they believed they are owed for Charlie Taylor, their opportunity to bring back Jonny Howson may have passed them by.
Settling on a deal with Burnley soon should be a priority, which they can immediately re-invest into a momentous deal of their own.
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