Leeds United are ready to let Gaetano Berardi leave the club for nothing next summer.
At least that’s what the most recent reports from Football Insider indicate.
The Whites are apparently set to cut all ties with the Swiss defender at the end of the season. However, that could change if the Whites fail in their quest to earn promotion to the Premier League.
It’ll be the end of an era if Berardi leaves Elland Road. The defender has made 143 appearances for the Whites and he’s been quite a prominent figure at the Yorkshire club over the past few years.
Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
Every Leeds fan knows that the 31-year-old has good and bad attributes. He’s the most red-carded player in the club’s history as he moved clear of Alan Smith’s seven after being sent off against Millwall earlier this season, but he’s also been quite a consistent and versatile performer, stepping in at full-back and centre-back when needed.
Are Leeds making the right decision in letting Berardi go? We asked our team of writers to give their verdicts.
Matt Dawson
“Letting Berardi’s contract run down until next summer, rather than selling him in January, would be the correct thing to do in this situation. Leeds’ lack of squad depth is evident and if they shipped on the Swiss defender, they’d be seriously short at the back.
“It’s unlikely the player would command a large fee anyway, especially given his seriously poor disciplinary record. He’s been sent off seven times since arriving at Elland Road but it’s not as though the Whites can afford to bring anyone in January to replace him.
“The club is held back by profit and sustainability restrictions while Victor Orta has already stated it’ll be a quiet January.
“On that evidence, they need all the bodies they can get. If they don’t go up then holding onto him would be smart too. If they do get promoted, however, the story changes. It’s highly unlikely he’d be up to the challenge of the Premier League.”
Vijievan Jeevathayalan
“Whilst he may be getting on a bit at 31, Gaetano Berardi has remained an ever-present in Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad this season, racking up 13 appearances across all competitions.
“And in the 11 games he has played in the Championship, Leeds have kept seven clean sheets. With Bielsa renowned for his tactical prowess, and fluid formations, Berardi’s versatility offers the side so much.
“This campaign alone has seen him play eight times at centre-back, three times at right-back, and once each at both left-back and holding midfield. Letting go of a player of that ilk on a free transfer next summer makes no sense from the Leeds hierarchy.
“If Leeds do get promoted to the Premier League for next year, it is vital they keep their core group of players together. And with 143 games to his name for the club, the Swiss ace has become an under-rated cog in the Leeds machine.”
Harry Sherlock “Leeds aren’t going to miss Berardi if he leaves the club. He’s made just six starts in the Championship and has completed the 90 minutes just three times in 2019/20. “At the age of 31, one has to think that he’s being phased out by Marcelo Bielsa. If they are promoted this season, reinforcements will be needed across the pitch and Berardi would likely be one of the first casualties of that, purely through a lack of minutes and his age. “It simply doesn’t make sense to give him a new deal at this stage; moving him on with a minimum of fuss is the correct course of action.” Charles Jones
“I think that Leeds are playing a very risky game with Berardi here.
“If Berardi goes at the end of the season the Whites will be left with just one senior centre-back in the squad as Ben White’s loan deal comes to an end this summer.
“Of course, they can dip into the market to replace him, but that could be a long process, and if their new defenders struggle to adapt to Bielsa’s intense training regimes and tactics then Leeds will be in trouble
“I think Berardi is quite a good squad player to have, so getting rid of him while there isn’t much depth at the back makes very little sense.”
Meanwhile, stats show that one Leeds man may have turned a corner this weekend
