Leeds United's Robbie Evans makes candid transfer admission and explains Sunderland's 'perfect storm'
Leeds United’s managing director Robbie Evans has insisted the club spent everything they could in the summer transfer window.
10 senior signings were made over the course of the window following Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League.
Early signs were promising, but activity levels lowered as the deadline approached. Whites boss Daniel Farke even called for attacking reinforcement, but swoops for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Facundo Buonanotte and Fulham’s Harry Wilson proved unsuccessful.
In a Q&A session with local media, Evans claimed Leeds are “maxing out” profit and sustainability rules.
Robbie Evans makes PSR admission
When asked if Leeds had spent all the available money, as reported by our sister title, the Yorkshire Evening Post, Evans said: “Yeah, so unequivocally, we are maxing PSR out this season, this summer.
“We spent everything we could. If we had gone onto other targets yesterday or onto higher price players back in July, the consequences would have been seen in the current roster, in terms of players we either could not add beyond the guys that got brought in. So, the players that came in in August wouldn't have come had those deals been made in July - or you'd see more key players from last year's promotion side having to go.
“And so for us, there were only a handful of players that were worth even considering making those kinds of sales. And when those top players didn't materialise, we held on to our key players instead.”
Sunderland comparison
Comparisons to fellow newly-promoted Sunderland have been drawn, as the Black Cats spent heavily and even beat Leeds to some signings.
Evans explained: “So on, PSR, as mentioned before this, unequivocally, we are maxing out PSR this season, just as last season and the season before, and that is something that would be verifiable when the accounts come out, whenever they come out.
“There's no point in trying to lie about that. As far as the relative aggression or ambition financially between Leeds and Sunderland - as a sports business nerd, lifelong sports business nerd, they are fascinating, duelling case studies.
“So Sunderland has, in my view, the perfect storm in a good way of creating PSR room. Between the combination of, as far as I'm aware, little or no operating loss last two seasons, very low wage bill, gets promoted, sells their top talents for 10s of millions, and now is effectively carrying no prior losses and a player sale profit in the Premier League, where they have a 48,000-person stadium waiting for them to sell out every game.”