Bated: Leeds could not afford Becchio wages

Not only does it turn sealing a return to the big time into a near obsession, it also leaves a squad vulnerable to predators whose own coffers have been swelled by television deals that run into the billions.

For Leeds United, this has meant a steady stream of their best talent heading through the exit doors in recent years destined for the Premier League.

Robert Snodgrass, Jermaine Beckford, Luciano Becchio and Bradley Johnson have all departed for the richest league in the world since United won promotion back to the Championship in 2010. Max Gradel is another star name to depart, the Ivorian opting for France and a switch to St Etienne.

Outgoing chairman Ken Bates said: “When the Premier League clubs come along – and, in particular, the riches they offer in terms of a contract – it means clubs in this division simply can’t compete.

“Luciano Becchio (who joined Norwich City in a swap deal that saw Steve Morison head the other way) is a perfect example. Luciano was already the highest paid player at the club but his agent wanted £1.5m a year basic wage.

“Even the thickest Leeds fan must see we can’t afford to pay a player £30,000 per week. You only pay that sort of wage if you want to go bust. I don’t know what he got at Norwich, in the end, but I’d imagine it was in that region.

“Robert Snodgrass was another who left. We tried to do a deal where we’d give him a new contract (last summer) on the understanding that if we didn’t go up this season then he could leave in the summer.

“His argument was, ‘What if I break my leg this season and then can’t look after my family?’ So, we had to reluctantly let him leave.

“Bradley Johnson left on a free. He’d wanted the same wages as Jonny Howson and we said ‘no’. Fair enough, Bradley has proved to be a good Premier League squad player. The flipside is Neil Kilkenny (another Bosman free), he has just been relegated to League One.

“The power is with the players. If we made one stay who was unhappy then, suddenly, we’d have a reputation of making life difficult. As a result, Leeds would not be an attractive place for players with ambition.”