Leeds United’s Chris Wood: Time to sell?
The Big Kiwi’s 2016/17 performance pushed his stock to new heights, and Leeds United might not be able to pass on that opportunity.
A seventh-place finish, a sense of ‘belonging’ and a reason to feel good about football again was very much needed in LS11 last season.
Passionate players (a certain Swedish acquisition in particular), an adored back four and a Spaniard with more nutmegs in him than a spicy Oxtail soup all accompanied Wood on his 27 league goal adventure.
But we’re now two weeks out from the beginning of the new campaign, and the division’s top scorer is invariably attracting attention from some of the bigger fish in the sea.
Does selling the New Zealand international make sense for the Whites…?
Potentially.
Wood’s price tag at its peak
Before I go any further, it’s probably a good time for me to throw in a heartfelt disclaimer: I don’t encourage nor condone the sale of Chris Wood, nor do I think it’s a good idea from a fans’ point of view.
The end of that disclaimer is the potential issue. I don’t want to see Wood leave, and I’m sure 99% of the fan base do not. However, from a business club-running point of view, it may make sense to cash in on him.
Talk of Wood leaving has cooled significantly since the beginning of the summer. Incoming signings and business elsewhere in the football world allowed the situation to somewhat fizzle out.
That being said, the last 24–48 hours has seen Premier League club names pop up, potentially re-igniting the courting process for the Kiwi, who has since been reportedly valued at around £20 million.
Now, all things considered, that valuation in this day and age of ‘ludicrous’ player prices is probably rather low. If an injury-prone, poor-last-season Britt Assombalonga was sold for around £14 million, then Wood must be worth at least half that again.
Regardless of the price the club (if they indeed wished to do so) put on him, it’s unlikely to increase much more in the future. In my opinion, Wood will do well to top last season’s tally, even if there is better service supplying him.
Barring an even-more-remarkable 30+ goal campaign, Wood’s value is as high as it ever will be.
With Wood hitting such heights and raising the bar for himself as much as he did, anything less than his tally last year could — and likely will — see his value fall. Clubs will likely see a 20-goal season as a dip in performance, therefore a dip in what they will pay for his services.
Squad investment intended to help goal threat
Much of Leeds’ transfer business thus far this season has been focused on areas of the midfield. In my previous article, I wrote about the importance of the centre of the park this season, I highlighted the dire need for support of Wood.
Last season’s equation was very much “no Wood = no goals”.
Goals, assists and creativity output from Wood’s support last season wasn’t good enough. The signings of Samu Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski have been made to address this, as has locking in Hadi Sacko to a permanent contract.
The club have also recognised that the only striking emergency go-to in the form of Marcus Antonsson wasn’t quite enough. While the signing of Caleb Ekuban isn’t exactly going to trouble Wood’s starting position, both the threat and reassurance of another option should keep the number 9 on his toes.
The hope, and need, is that Leeds now have some players that can chip in with the odd goal or two… or ten. Eventually, the contributions of these players should mean that Wood is less crucial to the team performing well enough to be considered for promotion.
Perhaps, this ease of pressure may well of course mean Wood can go about his business easier and chalk up 25 goals by March — perhaps not. It remains to be seen.
Re-investment potential is massive
Leeds haven’t received more than the initial £6m fee from the sale of Lewis Cook for a player since Ross McCormack left for £11m to Fulham back in the 2014/15 season.
In fact, in the past 17 years, only the sales of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Rio Ferdinand (for £12- and £30m respectively) eclipse the fee received for McCormack. Were Wood to leave Leeds for (an absolute minimum) £20m, the money received could be put to great use — that fee could buy three Kyle Bartley’s.
While it is unrealistic to think and believe that the money could be splashed around to bring in anyone we may want to, it is worth thinking about.
The team is still in need of a centre-half and a recognised left-back. Were the remarkable to happen, and Leeds were able to re-sign Bartley, plus a left-back in — for argument’s sake — Joe Bryan, then it’s not silly to think Leeds could do this for less than £10–13million.
With that in mind, it would leave Leeds with at least another £7 million in the pot to re-invest in another striker. While you’re not of course guaranteed to get someone who is necessarily going to fill Wood’s boots right away, you can’t help but think the squad would be a lot more balanced.
Ashley Fletcher, who has been on Leeds’ radar for the past 18 months, just finalized a move to Middlesbrough for exactly that £7m figure.
Understandably, this is all a hypothetical situation. There’s no guarantee that all, or indeed any of those players would be acquired in the instance we did sell Wood, but you get the idea — there is an awful lot of scope there.
Squad harmony vs. untested methods
On the showing of last season, Wood is undoubtedly and deservedly carrying an aura of importance around Thorp Arch and Elland Road.
He is as aware as the next guy of how instrumental he is in the team, and the finishing position last time out. To his credit, he has remained modest and humble about his achievement, and would likely have been able to demand a move away if he so desired.
It seems quite clear he is happy at Leeds, wants to remain at Leeds and wants to keep improving and go back to the top-flight with Leeds. The squad as whole, including the new signings, are all aware of his ability. He seems to command a lot of respect from the rest of the players and he’s seen as an integral part of the club.
Were he to leave, his absence would leave a big hole in the dressing room and the potential de-harmonisation of the team could be rather devastating.
The squad has been largely overhauled, and new players always take time to integrate with old faces — as well as the challenge of adapting to living and playing in England for the foreign imports.
Too much of an imbalance can spell disaster and a completely fresh squad would take weeks to properly bond and gel together. However, in the long run, could selling Wood now bear more fruit than keeping him?
While unlikely and unwise, it is definitely an option for the board — and no doubt one that has been considered. For the benefit of the current team, my heart wants Wood to stay, recreate last season’s heroics and fire us into the top-two.
My head, however, knows this is football — and that anything can happen.
