The Curious Case of Charlie Taylor Jakk Ogden July 26, 2016 Leeds United 32 Comments Well, it’s not really curious. It’s typical, to be honest. Sam Byram to West Ham for £3.7m. Lewis Cook to Bournemouth for £6m (and rising to around £10m based on appearances). That’s two of our finest talents of the last five years sold for adequate – although not substantial – fees. Add into that mix Ross McCormack, Robert Snodgrass, Jonny Howson and Max Gradel (admittedly, not all of these players were home-grown), and what you have is half of a Championship-beating squad. Of course, losing players to grander heights is a part of football. After all, who can blame any player for wanting to play at a higher level, or for more money, or both? The Curious Case of Charlie Taylor then is worth keeping an eye on. The 22-year old has been Leeds’ number one left-back for two seasons now. He has pocketed several wingers during that time and he has chipped in with his fair share of assists and goals; and nobody can argue that his performances for Leeds United last season were anything but exemplary. Despite the lad missing the start of the season due to Glandular Fever, he rallied to put in a season-wide performance worthy of winning the YEP United Player of the Year Award and the 2015/16 Leeds United Player of the Year Award. Taylor’s best quality, however, is his stamina and his desire to win the ball everywhere on the pitch. He is, as Uwe Rosler said, a “machine”. He is a player that Leeds United must keep hold of to push for a play-off place. He is a player that would improve any defence in Championship. His exploits have not gone unnoticed though. Premier League outfit West Brom are rumoured to be seriously considering making a move either now or during the January transfer window. Rumours suggest that a bid of £5m to £6m would secure his services. Taylor, I would argue, is worth more than that. However, that kind of cash flow would tempt Massimo Cellino into letting a deal go forward. It also doesn’t help that Cellino has publicly lambasted Taylor for his silence over contract talks. Cellino said in an interview recently that he won’t let Taylor go now or whilst he is under contract. He went as far as to say that he would rather see him leave for “free” next season than now. That bitterness has, in my opinion, ended any hope of Taylor signing a new contract with Leeds United. And that’s a real shame. Taylor, of course, deserves better. He works incredibly hard. He is a proper footballer. He deserves a new contract that is befitting of his talent. But the fact is this – Cellino is a cheap-skate who wants to pay peanuts for gold. We are, as a result, going to lose Taylor. Maybe not now, and maybe not in January. But definitely by this time next year. Life without Charlie Taylor would of course go on. Who knows, maybe we’d be able to bag a fantastic replacement? We also have the lad for the forthcoming season, so that’s something to look forward to. But I must stress the importance of preparing yourself to lose Taylor within the next 12-months. Cellino has berated the lad and it’s quite obvious that he’s not appreciated by the power’s above. I will close by saying that I sincerely hope that Charlie Taylor will decide to stick with Leeds for another year or two. So if you’re reading this, Charlie, take to heart the love Leeds United fans all over the world have for you. You are appreciated. But we also get it if you must move on. And if that’s the case, fellow Whites fans’, let’s just pray that Cellino gets his wallet out, because some serious money will be needed to bag another player like Charlie Taylor. MOT.