Exclusive:'We shouldn't be' - Leeds United transfer stance hailed after pursuit of Southampton's Shea Charles
Tony Dorigo has issued a verdict on Leeds United’s Shea Charles stance
Leeds United icon Tony Dorigo believes his former club adopted the correct stance on Southampton midfielder Shea Charles.
The 22-year-old midfielder was strongly linked with Leeds earlier in the window and Elland Road appeared his most likely destination for a period.
However, reports later indicated Leeds were not willing to hike their offer any further to meet Southampton’s demands.
Charles now appears to be nearing a move to Fulham, who are said to be in advanced talks over a £25.7m deal for the Northern Ireland international.
Leeds United transfer stance hailed
While there may be some frustration in the Leeds camp, Dorigo believes the club’s recruitment team have been responsible.
He told The Yorkshire Post: “Clearly a few bids have gone but I think the club have shown - the recruitment team have shown - they'll have a value for a player and quite simply they won't go above that.
“They know how much they've got to spend, they know the gaps they want to fill, how much each position they can go up to with their bids. I'm impressed - I think it's the right way to go about things.
“The market is a crazy one, a difficult one. When you've got Morgan Rogers going [to Chelsea] for £117m, there's a knock-on effect for every single player. It's difficult to find that value.
“At the same time, football clubs, and Leeds United are no different, there is a finite amount you can spend, so you have to spend it extremely wisely. I think they've shown, over the last few windows, that's exactly what they have done. I'm sure they know exactly what they're doing.
“It is the right thing because they'll probably want to put funds elsewhere to really improve the squad. No doubt Shea Charles is a really promising player, but we shouldn't be just dancing to Southampton's tune. We should be responsibly dancing to our own tune. That's exactly what the club are doing.”
Leeds United’s transfer business
Leeds have made two signings so far this summer, prising defender Tarik Muharemović from Sassuolo for a reported £34m and landing winger Harry Wilson from Fulham on a free transfer.
They are also in pursuit of Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, who is widely expected to succeed Jordan Pickford between the sticks for England.
Leeds’ Premier League campaign is due to kick off on August 22, when Daniel Farke’s side will visit Nottingham Forest.