Leeds United's faith and patience has paid off if…

Leeds United's faith and patience has paid off if transfer asset has trebled in value

Loan after loan after loan. Leeds United played the long game with Jack Harrison and it seems to be paying off based on Premier League perceptions.

Despite being United’s player for one season, Harrison has made as many appearances for the Whites as Mark Viduka and more than the likes of Gaetano Berardi or Jermaine Beckford. The winger is a part of the Elland Road furniture at 25 because of the faith shown in him by Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa.

Orta tactfully negotiated with Manchester City in each of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 summers to keep Harrison coming back. Bielsa liked him and City knew their asset was only appreciating in value under the Argentine, so it was always a move the three parties wanted to make happen.

Those three successive loan spells across the two Championship campaigns under Bielsa, as well as the return to the top flight, feathered the bed for the permanent agreement finally pushed through last summer. If £11m seemed like a bargain for a top-flight forward with 16 attacking returns then, it verges on robbery based on this summer’s rumour mill.

The eight goals and eight assists of year one in the top flight were followed by another eight goals and one assist last season. Those successive returns, as well as Harrison’s immaculate injury record, have pushed the speculation out to talk of £30m-plus to extract him from Elland Road.

Jesse Marsch has acknowledged ongoing transfer interest in Harrison, but reiterated United’s stance on the player’s future in the same breath. He remains in the head coach’s plans and they are planning to count on him from August when the real stuff starts.

Time will tell if Newcastle United come out and test the Whites’ resolve, but the shifting of the narrative around Harrison has been remarkable. The possibility Leeds could treble their money on the player one year after his overdue arrival speaks volumes for what Orta, Bielsa and, to a lesser degree, Marsch have done with Harrison’s transfer negotiation and on-pitch development.

Harrison is guilty of being inconsistent for Leeds with so much of his work rate and close control let down by a poor final product at times. Frustrations with that side of his game can cloud the numbers and if this version of Harrison delivers 25 attacking returns in two seasons, you can only imagine where his potential is with better consistency.

Other clubs are starting to sit up and take notice and Leeds stand to benefit. With two years remaining his deal at the club which gave him his big chance in English football, the Whites are sitting pretty.

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