Leeds United could face big Jack Harrison dilemma | OneFootball

On loan at Everton, Harrison has been under-performing for the Toffees, with his value depleting by the week.

With over 200 appearances for the West Yorkshire club, Jack Harrison is a former Leeds United favourite. Still contracted at Elland Road, the winger has been on loan at Everton since Leeds' relegation in 2023.

In late June of this year, having already spent a year with the Toffees, it was announced that Harrison would be extending his temporary tenure at Goodison Park for a further season.

Admittedly, without setting the league alight, it was a perfectly respectable 2023-24 season for Harrison, whose six goal involvements helped steer Everton to comfortable safety.

Despite this, Harrison's performances in the blue half of Merseyside have not come close to reflecting the ones that made him such a crucial asset at his parent club.

Harrison's declining impact on top-flight matches means that his status as a trusted, Premier League quality winger is very much at risk, and as a result of this, one of Leeds' most valuable assets is depreciating away from their control.

Jack Harrison's poorly timed contract at Leeds United

On April 4th 2023, Jack Harrison scored in a crucial 2-1 win over relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, putting the West Yorkshire club 13th in the table.

Two days later, Harrison signed a five-year contract keeping him at Elland Road until 2028, putting to bed a saga that had seen him almost join Leicester City in the January transfer window.

The Forest game would be the Whites' final win of the campaign, as two points from a possible 27 saw them relegated to the Championship. Harrison, potentially regretting his new long-term deal, and seemingly insistent on continuing to be a Premier League footballer, was loaned to Everton amid a strange exit clause in the contract signed when Leeds were still flirting with relegation.

With the nature of this loan, and the current one succeeding it, you could assume that Harrison and Leeds' ideal would be to reconvene in the top-flight. However, there appears to be bad blood from the supporter side at Elland Road and Everton have reportedly shown clear interest in making the move permanent.

With Leeds' play-off failure last season, and Harrison's clear objection to playing Championship football, it was easy to trigger another loan exit. If Leeds can get over the line in 2024/25, though, it gives them a good chance of demanding a decent fee for Harrison, who will still have three years left on his deal.

However, the declining stock of the winger may ring alarm bells for Paraag Marathe and co.

According to Transfermarkt, Jack Harrison's estimated market value peaked in September 2022 at €28m.

What has followed, however, is a gradual decrease that has seen the former MLS man reach just €18 by two years later.

Despite so-so underlying stats, the winger's output this season has been abysmal thus far, which may leave the powers that be at Everton disillusioned in their once very real pursuit of acquiring him on a permanent basis.

Leeds are now left with a very serious stick or twist situation. Do they sell to Everton or another Premier League struggler for a cut-price, or do they carry on as normal in the hope that he can be part of their Premier League squad next campaign, if they indeed get there?

Regardless of what happens, Leeds have been hamstrung by Harrison's loans away from the club in the last two seasons. They watched his market value fall at a time when it was nearly impossible for them to cash-in. It's a situation we've not seen too many times over the years, but it's one that leaves Leeds with a potentially big dilemma looming if they win promotion.