Leeds lose another big star as Fabrizio Romano confirms Qatari side have completed damaging raid | OneFootball

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Qatari side Al Rayyan have completed the transfer of Leeds United striker Rodrigo Moreno.

After a 16-year absence, the Whites made their way back to the Premier League for the 2020/21 season. A ninth-placed finish on their return suggested they might be able to stay a while.

But after narrowly staving off relegation the following season, they failed to turn things around, and were eventually relegated at the end of the next campaign. The way things are going, it might be a while before they haul themselves back to the top flight.

Transfer insider Romano has confirmed star striker Rodrigo has joined Qatari side Al Rayyan. He’s given his famous ‘here we go’ stamp, and suggests the deal will officially be announced soon.

For Leeds, that represents a huge loss. Rodrigo was their top scorer in all competitions last season, bagging 15 goals  – eight more than the next-highest tally.

In terms of Premier League goals, the Spaniard was the joint 12th-highest scorer in the entire league. He outscored the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Heung-min Son.

As such, Leeds will certainly miss him, as they will a lot of players who are departing this summer.

They’ve already seen Brenden Aaronson and Robin Koch depart on loan to Bundesliga sides Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt, respectively.

Marc Roca will also soon head out on loan, joining Real Betis for the season – having already struck an agreement to depart Elland Road.

There are also reports of interest in Jack Harrison, Wilfried Gnonto and Tyler Adams – three of the more useful players the Whites had at their disposal during the last campaign.

If they’re to lose all of those players, the prospect of returning to the Premier League in two seasons’ time looks bleak at best.

If they are to turn things around and get promoted straight away next season, some of the loanees may well return. However, the loss of Rodrigo will be one of the most significant.

While he’s not getting any younger at 32, last season was his best in the Premier League, and replicating his ability to score goals will be tough for the Whites.