Burnley avoid tribunal with Leeds United over transfer of Charlie Taylor

The sale of Charlie Taylor to Burnley has been finalized, and now Leeds United and the player can move on without a tribunal or anymore drama. Taylor, who came up through the youth ranks at the club, made himself a pariah at the club after former manager Garry Monk revealed that he refused to play on the final game of the season because of a risk of injury on the advice of his agent. The sale has reportedly gone through with a fee of between £6 and £7 million.

Taylor had wanted to leave Leeds United during the previous summer transfer window, but then club owner Massimo Cellino refused to sell the player, leaving his status in doubt as his contract was expiring this summer. Taylor was injured for part of the season, and apparently played through injury a number of times before refusing to play at Wigan Athletic on the last day of the season with Leeds United’s fate already sealed.

Leeds offered a new contract to Taylor earlier in the summer in order to gain compensation from whatever club ended up signing him, as his age demanded that as long as he was offered a contract with the club, Leeds were guaranteed payment of some sort. If no transfer fee could be resolved, Leeds would be forced to seek financial relief at a tribunal with the club that signed Taylor.

West Bromwich Albion had been heavily linked with Taylor before the start of the summer silly season, and it was rumored that he was quite interested in a move to join the Baggies, however with the threat of a tribunal looming, Tony Pulis pulled out of talks after West Brom were unable to reach an agreement with Leeds over Taylor’s value, with West Brom apparently refusing to go over £5 million for the fullback.

Burnley had stepped in a few weeks ago and signed Taylor to a contract, and were in talks with Leeds in order to avoid going to a tribunal. The two clubs have come to an agreement that was announced today, and the fee is rumored to be between £6 and £7 million, which is a good result for Leeds. Leeds now gets a substantial influx of cash and can now use that money to acquire either a replacement left back and a central defender, or possibly meet the £7.5 million that Swansea City want for Kyle Bartley. Most Leeds fans would, presumably, want Bartley back at Elland Road and would be sending a car around to pick Bartley up from Wales as we speak.

In the end, then, Taylor gets his move to the Premier League and Leeds United gets at least £6 million for him. It’s sad that the whole situation ended up like it did, but now that it’s resolved, everyone can move on.

Although, seriously, Burnley? LOL