Lots of Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media, after The Athletic’s Phil Hay shared an update on the club’s options to purchase Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison and on-loan FC Lorient goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Both moved to Elland Road to join Marcelo Bielsa’s Championship squad on one-year contracts last summer, with Harrison returning for a second term after joining the boss for his inaugural campaign in West Yorkshire.
Manchester City had touted a £20million asking price for the Stoke-on-Trent-born winger at the end of the 2018/19 season amid hopes at United of striking a deal, having produced solid performances on route to the Play-Off Semi-Finals.
Bielsa was vividly supportive of the former England U21 international, despite Harrison only scoring four goals and penning four assists in all competitions, with the Argentine backing the forward to soon become a player worth of at least £15m.
Harrison has since become one of the most important players in Bielsa’s first-team as we strive to better our end results of last season, with the 23-year-old named on the left-wing for each of our 26 Championship fixtures to date, scoring five goals and has been credited with six assists.
As well as landing Harrison’s services for a further year on loan, the club announced that we also secured an option-to-buy, which Hay has now revealed is worth just £8m and a decision over triggering the clause will be made in the summer.
Do we trigger our option to buy Harrison?
Yes
No
The club also hold an option to purchase Meslier from French Ligue 2 side FC Lorient at the end of the season, which is said to be worth £4.5m.
Meslier made his United debut in the FA Cup on Monday night against Premier League big-hitters Arsenal, and earned a lot of respect in West Yorkshire for his performance at the Emirates Stadium.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Hay’s update on our options-to-buy…
I would take jackie now!
— Alistair (@nutty11222) January 9, 2020
Weren’t City asking for £20m+ in the summer for Jackie? £8m looks like a steal now
— Michael Fox 💙💛 (@michaelfox_1) January 9, 2020
Harrison for £8 million is a no brainer surely even failing promotion. Will be worth more than that as soon as the deal completes
— Liam Rawlings (@lufc_liam) January 9, 2020
£8 mill for Harrison and £5 mill for Meslier is good business
— Maxwello 💙💛 (@maxwellobielsa) January 9, 2020
Harrison keeps getting better, a no brainer if we go up!
— Kim Robert Lund (@Lund1993) January 9, 2020
I’d sign them both permanently, jack has improved ten fold even since last year and Meslier is very good to have even as a backup keeper, although if Kiko ever drops off he’ll be one hell of a replacement.
— Marty Drysdale. (@MartynDrysdale) January 9, 2020
I never agree with loan signings that don’t have a buy option at the end of it because your always going to lose that player at the end of it so you’ve either wasted money on a useless loanee or he’s been pivotal in the team and you end up just having to replace them anyway 🤷♂️🤷♂️
— owen (@owen49798054) January 9, 2020
Any chance that we make meslier permanent this window Phil? Would help with the 5 loan player rule.
— Dan (@POTUS048) January 9, 2020
We need to get both permanently.
— Garry Pierrepont (@Weysider) January 9, 2020
In other Leeds United news, the club are reportedly set to beat Premier League competition to a 6 ft 3 signing.