Burnley's seven-figure compensation agreement with Leeds United was a steal: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Leeds United may regret allowing Burnley to sign left-back Charlie Taylor for such a small fee in 2017, given the number of games he has since played for the Clarets.

Taylor had actually been linked with a return to Elland Road during the summer, having previously played 104 times for Leeds before leaving for Burnley, scoring three and assisting a further 13 during his time in West Yorkshire.

In his final few seasons with the club, the left-back had firmly established himself as one of the best left-back's in the division, and among Leeds' best players, especially under Garry Monk in his final year with the club, where Leeds had one of the strongest defences in the Championship.

He had to be patient for his chance with Leeds, and headed out on loan to the likes of Bradford City, York City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and Fleetwood Town. He became more involved in first-team matters during the 2014/15 season.

He developed well, but saved his best season for his final year with the club. In spite of that, it would end on a sour note, when in the last game of the season, with Leeds missing out on the play-offs bar an almost impossible mathematical goal difference swing, it was revealed by Monk that Taylor had refused to play for Leeds in the final match.

As a result of the refusal, Taylor was fined two weeks wages by the club, with Monk stating: "I'm hugely disappointed with Charlie. I think he's been terribly advised all season."

As Taylor was aged under 23, and in the last year of his deal, he could sign for other sides if compensation could be agreed, bypassing the need for a transfer fee, but only if Leeds offered to extend his contract.; and, on May 17th, it was announced that Taylor had been offered a two-year contract with the club in line with EFL regulations.

Charlie Taylor joins Burnley

The 30-year-old is still with the Clarets and has spent the majority of his time at Turf Moor in the Premier League, justifying his move away from Elland Road in 2017 by forging a decent career in the top-flight.

Taylor was always solid and dependable, but made the step up to Sean Dyche's team fairly easily, after eventually overtaking Stephen Ward at left-back.

He now has bags of Premier League experience, as well as obvious promotion-winning experience, having gone up with Burnley last season,

He's since gone on to make over 200 appearances for the Clarets, which has more than paid back the compensation paid, which was said to be around £6 million after an agreement was reached.

Seven seasons of service has been some effort from Taylor, but Leeds will know that they have been on the wrong end of a steal for the academy product, especially when considering he has never truly been replaced at Elland Road.

Barry Douglas was not the answer, with Ezgjan Alioski and Stuart Dallas perhaps deputising best there in recent years, whilst Junior Firpo has been injured far too frequently to be deemed a proper replacement for Taylor in terms of consistency and dependability.

Leeds' left-back issue

Leeds added multiple players to their first-team squad this summer, but one area that Farke is looking to add to in January is at left-back, where speculation was rife earlier in the summer over Firpo's future, and injuries have impacted Sam Byram there as well.

Taylor himself was said to have been a target for Leeds all summer, according to Hay writing in The Athletic. The move didn't materialise but he maintained that it is one to keep an eye on, and perhaps that could also be the case in January.

His Championship winning experience, reliability, and familiarity with the club would make him a welcome addition to the Elland Road dressing room for many. In hindsight, Leeds may now regret allowing his departure to transpire in the way it did all those years ago.