Luciano Becchio

On a live post match phone in this weekend, Eddie Gray told one caller that whilst Becchio may be saying he wants to sign in public, it’s an entirely different story behind the scenes where the Argentinian is telling those close to him that he wants to play in the Premier League.

This is hardly a revelation, as Luciano has said previously that he wanted to play in the Premier League but Eddie Gray’s response suggests he may be stalling Leeds’ contract negotiations to see if he can get a quicker route to the top flight in January.

The Leeds United legend was noticeably frustrated with the fans one-sided view of this situation and was attempting to add some perspective with his response. His comments came as a caller was leading the Becchio love-in, failing to consider the players part in the discussions when criticising Leeds United for not getting his contract tied up sooner.

What’s interesting here is the PR campaign we’ve seen from Grayson, Bates and everyone else at the club in recent weeks. If Gray’s comments are true and Luciano is stalling and considering his options, then the constant statements of reassurance from Elland Road may have been designed to keep interested clubs at bay by quashing suggestions of a transfer.

I know Bates likes to blame the language barrier, but for contract talks to have gone on this long, Becchio must have rejected several offers already?The club, clearly desperate to secure his signature remain incredibly calm and respectful about Becchio in the press, whilst a couple of rejections from Bradley resulted in an onslaught. I suspect the club want both players to remain at Elland Road, so can only conclude the club fears Becchio could leave, whilst they can play fast and loose with Johnson because he may struggle to find a better team.

Whilst I worry that we may lose Becchio in the same way we lost Beckford last season, I think Eddie Gray’s comments were needed to add some balance to this whole saga. For most fans, it was inconceivable to think Becchio may be the one stalling negotiations as he tries to find a better deal elsewhere. It was much easier to blame the club and demand they treble his salary, never considering that the player may not bleed blue, white and yellow after all…?